The International Criminal Court issues warrants of arrest for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.
The Court just issued three arrest warrants, one for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif and two for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for crimes against humanity and war crimes…
There had been some serious delays, there were a lot of questions about whether the ICC was capable of doing so.
Israel has tried to avoid this by filing all kinds of complaints, but the ICC has now decided to reject these.
There is a new presiding judge of the pre-trial chamber that was issuing these warrants. The previous presiding judge recently stepped down after informing the court about a medical issue, after months of investigating the case.
Very quickly after the previous judge stepped down this decision has now been taken.
Source: Al Jazeera
Israel’s Lapid, Lieberman rebuke ICC warrants
Several Israeli officials have responded to the ICC’s arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
In a post on X, Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the court’s decision, characterising Israel’s war on Gaza as a fight for its life “against terrorist oganisations”.
Israel’s former Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman also spoke out against the ruling, writing on X that it shows the international community’s “double standards and hypocrisy”.
- “The state of Israel will not apologise for protecting its citizens and is committed to continuing to fight terrorism without compromise,” said Lieberman.
Source: Al Jazeera
ICC issues arrest warrant for Netanyahu
Prosecutors in The Hague are also seeking the detention of Israel’s former defence minister, Yoav Gallant
- The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague announced on Thursday that it has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict.
- Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif has also been named in a warrant for similar charges.
The court accuses Netanyahu and Gallant of using starvation as a method of warfare, alleging they deliberately deprived Gaza’s civilian population of essential supplies, including food, water, and medicine.
- Prosecutors claim there was “no obvious military necessity” for such actions, which amount to violations of international law.
Both Israeli politicians could face arrest if they travel to any of the 123 countries that are signatories to the ICC’s Rome Statute.
The charges are part of a broader ICC investigation that includes alleged crimes by Hamas during its October 7 attacks on Israel.
- Prosecutors have accused Deif, the mastermind of the assault, of murder, torture, and hostage-taking. Israel claims to have killed Deif in an airstrike earlier this year, though Hamas has not confirmed his death.
- The move has sparked an immediate backlash. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett called the ICC warrants a “mark of shame,” while opposition leader Yair Lapid labeled the decision “a reward for terrorism.”
The Israeli government has consistently denied committing war crimes and rejects the court’s jurisdiction. The US and Russia – among others – also don’t recognise the ICC.
Israel has challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction and argued that it was not given the opportunity to investigate the allegations internally. Netanyahu’s government has dismissed the Hague’s actions as politically motivated interference.
- In Washington, incoming Republican Senate Majority Leader John Thune has threatened sanctions against the ICC, echoing earlier House-approved legislation. “If the ICC does not reverse this outrageous action, the Senate must act to sanction the court,” Thune said.
Other Republican lawmakers, including Senator Susan Collins, pledged to support Israel and press for punitive measures against the ICC.
- The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, initially requested arrest warrants in May, alleging widespread violations during Israel’s military response to Hamas. The court said its Pre-Trial Chamber found “reasonable grounds” to believe the accused were responsible for crimes against humanity, including persecution and inhumane acts.
Last year, the ICC issued similar warrants for the detention of both Russian President Vladimir Putin and the country’s Children’s Rights Commissioner Maria Alekseyevna Lvova-Belova.
Source: RT
The historic ICC arrest warrant marks the beginning of the end for Netanyahu: Marwan Bishara
Source: Al Jazeera & Youtube