Palestinian-American journalist Shireen Abu Aqla was shot in the head during a raid by the Israeli army in the occupied West Bank back in May. Ever since Israel’s government has been insisting that the death was unintentional and that all evidence that supports premeditated murder is unfounded. With the hopes that the apartheid regime will be held accountable for at least one of the war crimes committed and will be brought to the limelight once again, Al Jazeera filed a case in the International Criminal Court (ICC).
ICC case marks a great step forward in regards to putting Israel on trial for the illegitimate occupation of West Bank and the subsequent genocide that is being carried out against Palestinians. The conflict has been brewing for decades and is now bubbling over and many have lost their lives in the process. Palestine has experienced a disproportionate number of fatalities because of the ongoing war of aggression between the two. Bringing a case like the murder of Shireen Abu Aqla to the ICC brings international attention to just one example of the multiple human rights violations that are occurring in the West Bank, and now the hope is that the global community will finally mobilise.
Of course, for this to truly have the impact that Al Jazeera is looking for, the Israeli government must acknowledge the authority of the ICC and abide by its decisions—an unlikely possibility keeping in mind the recent comments made by multiple politicians. Outgoing Prime Minister Yair Lapid asserted that an investigation into the murder will not be carried out and has refused to cooperate with the ICC in this regard. Ben-Gvir is expected to become the new national security minister after the elections and he even called for the expulsion of Al Jazeera and its journalists from the region.
These assertions speak volumes about the kind of mentality that is supported by the Israeli government, which itself cannot contain the Israel Defense Forces that continue to launch aggressive campaigns against Palestinians. We are trying to hold responsible an entity that is rather apathetic to the plight of those very humans it suppresses and has no regard for global conventions. The hope is that the case in the ICC will lead the global community to clamp down on Israel with the intensity it deserves.