The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants this Thursday against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Nentayahuand his former Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant, as those most responsible for the commission of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip since at least October 8 of last year.
The judges also approved the arrest warrant for Mohammed Deifa senior official Hamas considered head of its military wing, although Israel already declared him dead in an Israeli attack launched last June against the Strip, a death that was never confirmed by the Islamist group.
The decision makes Netanyahu and the others internationally wanted suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a ceasefire to end the 13-month conflict. But its practical implications could be limited, since Israel and its main ally, the United States, are not members of the court and several Hamas officials have subsequently died in the conflict.
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have condemned the ICC chief prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants, Karim Khanas shameful and anti-Semitic. US President Joe Biden also criticized the prosecutor and expressed support for Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas. Hamas also criticized the request.
“The Chamber found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population of Gaza of objects indispensable for their survival, including food, water, medicines and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity,” the panel wrote. of three judges in their unanimous decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry said in September it had filed two legal briefs challenging the ICC’s jurisdiction and arguing that the court did not give Israel the opportunity to investigate the allegations itself before seeking arrest warrants.
“No other democracy with an independent and respected legal system like the one that exists in Israel has been treated in this damaging way by the Prosecutor”Foreign Ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein wrote in X. He said Israel remains “firm in its commitment to the rule of law and justice” and will continue to protect its citizens against militancy.
The ICC is a court of last resort that only prosecutes cases when national law enforcement authorities are unable or unwilling to investigate. Israel is not a member state of the court. The country has had difficulty investigating itself in the past, human rights groups say.
Despite the arrest warrants, it is unlikely that any of the suspects will appear before judges in The Hague in the near future. The court does not have police to enforce arrest warrants, so it depends on the cooperation of its member states.
(With information from EFE and AP)
