Arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Joaw Galant and Hamas leader Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri: The International Criminal Court justified the arrest warrants on suspicion of crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Palestinian Gaza Strip. lto.de, n-tv.de, faz.net

• Benjamin Netanyahu’s office rejected the decision, calling the arrest warrants anti-Semitic. Israel would „not give in to pressure“ in defending its citizens. tagesschau.de
• Former Defense Minister Joaw Galant strongly criticized the international arrest warrants against himself and Netanyahu. The decision creates „a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defense.“ It also puts the State of Israel and the leaders of Hamas on the same level and legitimizes the actions of the terrorist militia.
• Israeli President Yitzhak Herzog spoke of a dark day for humanity. n-tv.de
• Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar emphasized that the court had lost all legitimacy. The arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant are a „dark moment for the International Criminal Court“.
• Islamist Hamas called the decision an „important historical precedent and a correction of a long history of historical injustice against our people“. Hamas did not comment on the arrest warrant against their military leader Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif.
• USA condemned the action of the court in The Hague. The White House is deeply concerned about the prosecutor’s haste and the „disturbing procedural errors“ that led to this decision. In the view of the US government, the Hague Court has no jurisdiction in this matter. The US will discuss further steps with its partners. US President Joe Biden has called the decision outrageous. spiegel.de
• EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell has called on all member states to respect the international arrest warrant. He said the decision of the ICC in The Hague was legally binding. As parties to the treaty, all EU states were „obliged to implement the court’s decision.“ sueddeutsche.de
• Germany had already indicated that Netanyahu would only be arrested if convicted. Israel is a constitutional state, it said, adding that the International Criminal Court should only intervene if nation states are not willing or able to resolve allegations themselves. The Central Council of Jews expressed outrage at The Hague and spoke of an „absurdity“. sueddeutsche.de
• France emphasized its respect for the court, but according to the Foreign Ministry, it does not yet want to commit itself to whether it would arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. The question is legally complicated; they do not want to comment on it yet.
• Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp confirmed that his country would arrest Netanyahu if he visited. „The government’s position is clear. We are obliged to cooperate with the ICC,“ Veldkamp said. The court is based in the Netherlands.
• Italy’s government would implement the arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Joaw Galant. If Netanyahu entered Italy, he would be arrested, Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said.
• Turkey’s ruling AKP has welcomed the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant, saying the ICC has passed a judgment for the benefit of humanity. AKP spokesman Ömer Celik wrote on Twitter that the two Israelis would „ultimately be held accountable for genocide.“

Lebanon wants changes to US cease-fire proposal: An Israeli military source said a faster withdrawal of Israeli soldiers from southern Lebanon should be ensured, according to a Reuters report. The withdrawal should take place immediately after the cease-fire is declared so that the Lebanese army can be stationed in all parts of the country and displaced persons can return to their homes. So far, Israel has planned for a withdrawal within 60 days of a ceasefire. tagesschau.de

• At least 22 people were killed in Israeli air strikes on targets in eastern Lebanon, according to the Lebanese Ministry of Health. The attacks reportedly hit five areas in the Baalbek region. Israel’s air force also attacked southern suburbs of Beirut. Israel’s military spoke of attacks on „terrorist targets“.
• In the Gaza Strip, five residential buildings were bombed. According to the Hamas-led health ministry, more than 60 people were killed.
• In Syria, the number of dead rose after Wednesday’s attack on the city of Palmyra. The Syrian Observatory for Human Rights now speaks of at least 80 dead. The victims included 56 Syrians allied with Iran-loyal militias, as well as several officers of Syrian government troops. The target was a meeting of commanders of pro-Iranian groups.
• In the West Bank, Israel’s armed forces have, according to their own information, killed nine terrorists in an operation.
• A rocket attack by Hezbollah on the coastal town of Nahariya in northern Israel killed one person.
• According to its own statements, Israel’s air force intercepted a rocket from Yemen. The missile was reportedly stopped outside the country’s borders. There was a temporary rocket alarm near the Dead Sea in southern Israel and in the West Bank.

Russia’s Oreschnik medium-range ballistic missile is based on intercontinental ballistic missiles, according to the Pentagon. Russia’s head of state Vladimir Putin confirmed the Oreschnik deployment. The missile hit the southern Ukrainian city of Dnipro on Thursday morning. Initially, there was speculation that it was an intercontinental ballistic missile. According to US intelligence, the new missile was used for the first time. The United States was informed by Russia shortly before the launch, the US Department of Defense said. It was a medium-range ballistic missile based on the RS-26 intercontinental ballistic missile model. Russia probably has only a handful of these missiles, a government official in Washington said. Putin is just trying to attract attention. The missile will not play a decisive role in the war. tagesschau.de

• Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky said the use of a Russian ballistic missile with a longer range represented an escalation in the war against his country, to which the international community must respond. So far, appropriate measures have not been taken. spiegel.de
• Russia’s leader Vladimir Putin threatened not only Ukraine, but also its Western supporters with missile strikes. According to Putin, the use of Western missiles against Russian territory has given the Ukraine conflict „elements of a global character“. spiegel.de
• On Thursday evening, two Russian guided bombs hit the city of Kostyantynivka in the Donetsk region, the regional administration reported. Six people were injured. The administration is again appealing to the remaining residents to leave the city. The situation in the entire Donetsk region is life-threatening.
• The National Anti-Corruption Bureau of Ukraine and Ukraine’s intelligence agency have uncovered a corruption scheme involving two heads of Ukrainian Armed Forces logistics commandos. A recently published report states that the suspects signed contracts in 2022 and 2023 to purchase fighter jet spare parts at inflated prices.
• Russia’s parliament decides to increase defense spending by 30 percent for the coming year. The Duma confirms a budget of around 127 billion euros for the military, which corresponds to more than six percent of the gross domestic product. tagesschau.de
• Poland’s foreign ministry has firmly rejected Russia’s accusations regarding the new US missile base in Redzikowo near the Baltic coast. There are no nuclear missiles at the base. The base is for defense and not for attack. Russia’s threats would only provide an argument for strengthening Poland’s and NATO’s air defenses.
• USA impose sanctions against 50 Russian banks, including, for the first time, Gazprombank, which is important for the Russian gas trade. US Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said these measures should further weaken Russia in its war of aggression against Ukraine. Russia uses the banks, among other things, to acquire military equipment for the war and to pay soldiers their wages.

More Politics:

• Minister of the Interior Nancy Faeser expects Russia to exert influence in the federal elections. rnd.de
• Protection of the constitutional court: Good chances for a speedy vote. tagesschau.de
• Ruling by the Federal Administrative Court: Refugees may be deported to Italy. tagesspiegel.de
• Confusion over electronic patient files: doctors call for later start. heise.de
• SPD wants to use the Deutschlandticket in the election campaign. rp-online.de
• „Schwachkopf“ insult: search was planned even before Robert Habeck filed a complaint. zeit.de