LETTERS: The ceasefire agreement reached on 15 January 2025 between Hamas and Israel must not be misconstrued as absolution of responsibility or a cessation of the pursuit of justice.
History has repeatedly shown that Israel violates ceasefire arrangements with impunity, perpetuating distrust and intensifying the suffering of the Palestinian people.
The international community must ensure this does not happen again.
On November 21, 2024, the Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court (ICC), in its consideration of the Situation in the State of Palestine, unanimously rejected challenges by the Israeli regime under Articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute.
Significantly, the ICC issued warrants of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for their involvement in
atrocities that constitute war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The issuance of these warrants marks a pivotal moment in the pursuit of justice. It is imperative to ensure their enforcement.
The ceasefire does not—and cannot—render these warrants obsolete.
Accountability for egregious crimes, including genocide, massacres, deliberate starvation of populations (akin to the Holodomor), destruction of educational institutions (educide), and the targeted killings of children (juvenicide) in Gaza, remains non-negotiable.
These grave violations of international law demand action.
Documentation of these crimes must continue uninterrupted, aiming to secure accountability and provide reparations to victims and their families.
Justice requires not only punishment for the guilty but also the restoration of the Palestinian people's rights—their return to rightful lands and the realisation of their
inalienable right to self-determination.
This is a defining moment for the international community.
Silence and complacency equate to complicity. Justice, accountability, and the rule of law must prevail.
The pursuit of justice through legal mechanisms such as the ICC must continue relentlessly.
A ceasefire cannot and must not be mistaken for genuine peace without justice.
The world must act decisively to ensure these crimes never recur and to enable the Palestinian people to live with dignity, freedom, and peace.
AZRIL MOHD AMIN
Founder and Chairman
Centre for Human Rights Research and Advocacy
(CENTHRA)
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times
