AFP and Reuters, THE HAGUE, London, Berlin and Paris
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister as well as Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif.
The unprecedented move drew a furious reaction from Netanyahu, who denounced it as anti-Semitic and the court’s accusations “absurd and false.”
Photo: Reuters
Israel’s closest allies, including the US, also slammed the warrants against the Israeli politicians, but rights groups, including Amnesty International, welcomed them.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is now officially a wanted man,” Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said.
The ICC’s move theoretically limits the movement of Netanyahu, as any of the court’s 125 national members would be obliged to arrest him on their territory.
“The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024,” the ICC said in a statement.
A warrant had also been issued for Deif, it said.
Israel said in early August it had killed Deif in an airstrike in southern Gaza in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death.
The court said it had issued the arrest warrant as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether Deif was dead.
The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, urged the body’s members to act on the warrants, and for non-members to work together for “upholding international law.”
“I appeal to all States Parties to live up to their commitment ... by respecting and complying with these judicial orders,” Khan said in a statement.
The Palestinian Authority and militant group Hamas both welcomed the warrants — though without mentioning Deif.
The warrants for the Israeli leaders are “an important step towards justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general,” Hamas’ political bureau member Bassem Naim said.
“But it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world,” he said.
US President Joe Biden denounced the warrants against Israeli leaders as “outrageous.”
“Let me be clear once again: Whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security,” Biden said in a statement.
Argentine President Javier Milei also expressed his country’s “deep disagreement,” saying the move “distorts the spirit of international justice.”
Speaking from Jordan, EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Josep Borrell said: “It is not a political decision. It is a decision of a court ... of an international court of justice.”
“And the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented,” he said.
Italy said it would be forced to comply with the warrant should the Israeli officials set foot in the country.
While Italian Minister of Defense Guido Crosetto said he believed the ICC was “wrong” to put Netanyahu and Gallant on the same level as Hamas, if either “were to come to Italy, we would have to arrest them.”
Belgium’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it fully supported the work of the ICC.
“Those responsible for crimes committed in #Israel and #Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of who committed them,” it said in a statement on X.
The British government indicated that Netanyahu could be arrested if he traveled to the UK.
“The UK will always comply with its legal obligations as set out by domestic law and indeed international law,” British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesman said, refusing to be drawn specifically on Netanyahu’s case.
The German government will carefully examine the ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense chief, but will not take further steps until a visit to Germany is planned, a spokesperson said.
“I find it hard to imagine that we would make arrests on this basis,” German government spokesman Steffen Hebestreit said, pointing out that legal questions had to be clarified regarding the warrant.
He did not specify what those questions entailed and did not answer when asked whether Netanyahu would be welcome in Germany.
France yesterday toned down its reaction to the ICC’s decision, saying it took note of the decision, which was not a ruling, just a formalization of an accusation.
“France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice, it reiterates its attachment to the independent work of the Court, in accordance with the Rome Statute,” French Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Christophe Lemoine said in a statement.
Lemoine on Thursday had said France’s response would be in line with the principles of the Rome Statute, but had declined to say whether Paris would arrest Netanyahu if he came to France, saying it was legally complicated.
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