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Israel Looks to Washington to Punish ICC

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky attend a press conference at Foreign Ministry headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, November 28, 2024. REUTERS/David W Cerny
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky attend a press conference at Foreign Ministry headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, November 28, 2024. REUTERS/David W Cerny
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Israel Looks to Washington to Punish ICC

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky attend a press conference at Foreign Ministry headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, November 28, 2024. REUTERS/David W Cerny
Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar and Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky attend a press conference at Foreign Ministry headquarters in Prague, Czech Republic, November 28, 2024. REUTERS/David W Cerny

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said on Thursday he believed the United States would punish the International Criminal Court for having issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister.
Israel has said it will appeal the ICC decision to move against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
But during a visit to the Czech Republic, Saar said other countries were also dismayed by the decision, including the United States.
"I tend to believe that in Washington, legislation is going to take place very shortly against the ICC and whoever cooperates with it," Saar told a joint press conference with Czech Foreign Minister Jan Lipavsky.
Saar added that Israel would finish the 14-month-old war in Gaza when it "achieves its objectives" of returning hostages being held by Hamas and ensuring the group no longer controls the Palestinian enclave.

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South Korea Completes Missile Interceptor to Counter Any Threat from North

North Korea's Kaephung county is seen from the observatory of the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
North Korea's Kaephung county is seen from the observatory of the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
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South Korea Completes Missile Interceptor to Counter Any Threat from North

North Korea's Kaephung county is seen from the observatory of the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)
North Korea's Kaephung county is seen from the observatory of the Aegibong Peace Ecopark in Gimpo, South Korea, Friday, Nov. 29, 2024. (AP Photo/Lee Jin-man)

South Korea said on Friday it had completed development of a new ballistic missile interceptor, adding a further layer to defense systems deployed to protect against missile threats from neighboring North Korea.
The move comes after the North designated South Korea a "hostile state" and no longer a partner in the goal of unification, breaking from decades of policy and dramatically escalating tension with hostile rhetoric throughout the year.
The Long-range Surface-to-Air Missile (LSAM) is designed to intercept incoming ballistic missiles or aircraft at altitudes higher than 40 km (25 miles) in the terminal phase of its descent, the defense ministry said.
Ten years in development, the L-SAM will become operational in the mid- to late 2020s after mass production begins in 2025, the ministry added in a statement.
"This is a cutting-edge weapon that intercepts enemy missiles at high altitudes to minimise damage on land, expanding our military's missile defense capabilities to higher altitudes and wider areas," it said.
The new addition will augment the US Patriot missile and indigenous Cheongung II medium-range interceptor, both currently operational, the South's Agency for Defense Development (ADD) said.
Like the US Terminal High Altitude Area Defense (THAAD) system, which South Korea hosts, L-SAM uses the "hit-to-kill" maneuver, relying on advanced technology to fine-tune its flight to strike incoming enemy targets, the ministry said.
North Korea has tested a range of ballistic missiles in the past five years, steadily advancing its arsenal, including shorter-range missiles designed to strike targets in South Korea, which Pyongyang has designated a "primary foe."