Israel’s Netanyahu says any ICC arrest warrants would be scandal on historic scale
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for government officials on charges related to the conduct of Israel’s war against Hamas it would be a scandal on a historic scale.
Israeli officials have expressed concern in recent days that the ICC is preparing warrants for senior government officials, in what would be the most serious international legal action taken against Israel since the Gaza war erupted in October.
The ICC - which can charge individuals with war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide - is investigating Hamas’ Oct 7 cross-border attack and Israel’s devastating military assault on Hamas-ruled Gaza, now in its seventh month.
Blinken says he will press Netanyahu on Gaza aid measures
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on April 30 that he will discuss with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu measures that Israel still needs to take to increase the flow of aid into Gaza, as he holds meetings in the country on May 1.
Mr Blinken spoke to reporters at a warehouse of the Jordan Hashemite Charity Organization where aid shipments from US-based charities are gathered. He said while there were some improvements in the humanitarian aid situation in the densely populated enclave, much more needed to be done to ensure assistance reaches people in a sustained manner.
“I’m now able to go to Israel tomorrow and go over with the Israeli government the things that still need to be done if the test is going to be met of making sure that people have what they need,” Mr Blinken said.
Gas blast kills eight at Beirut restaurant: Minister
A fire caused by a gas canister explosion killed at least eight people at a restaurant in Beirut on April 30, a Lebanese government minister and firefighters said.
The state-run National News Agency quoted the Beirut Fire Brigade as saying that “eight victims died of suffocation inside the restaurant”.
The firefighters put out a blaze in a small restaurant in Beirut after “a gas leak caused an explosion at the restaurant”, NNA added, quoted the same source.
US labour official calls on companies to exit China’s Xinjiang
International companies cannot responsibly operate in Xinjiang and should leave the western Chinese region due to forced labour concerns, a US Labor Department official said on April 30.
The US government says Chinese officials continue to commit genocide and crimes against humanity against Uighurs and other Muslim minorities in Xinjiang, and rights groups have pressured Western companies there to audit their operations over forced labour concerns.
China’s government vehemently denies allegations of abuses.
Alcaraz holds off Struff to reach Madrid quarter-finals
Second seed Carlos Alcaraz extended his Madrid Open winning streak to a record-equalling 14 with a hard-fought victory over familiar foe Jan-Lennard Struff to move into the quarter-finals on April 30.
In a rematch of last year’s final at the Caja Magica, Alcaraz snapped Struff’s six-match winning streak with a 6-3, 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/4) result to squeeze through to a last-eight clash with seventh seed Andrey Rublev.
Top-seeded Jannik Sinner has been dealing with a hip problem but managed to overcome Karen Khachanov 5-7, 6-3, 6-3 to reach his fourth Masters 1000 quarter-final in as many events this season.
