The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the ongoing Gaza conflict.
The ICC’s decision alleges that Netanyahu and Gallant are criminally responsible for actions including murder, persecution, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war. The judges concluded there were reasonable grounds to believe these acts constituted part of a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza.” Among the charges are allegations of deliberately targeting civilians and engaging in conduct that violates international humanitarian law.
Netanyahu and Gallant have denied the accusations. Israeli officials, including President Isaac Herzog, have strongly condemned the decision, accusing the ICC of bias. Herzog called the warrants an act of bad faith, stating they undermine the credibility of international justice. “This outrageous decision has turned universal justice into a universal laughingstock,” Herzog said.
Hamas officials have welcomed the ICC’s decision, with senior leader Izzat A-Rishek stating, “This exposes the truth. International justice stands with us [Hamas] against the Zionist entity.” The ICC has also issued a warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, though specific details of the charges against him remain undisclosed.
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Senior Hamxs official Izzat A-Rishek praises the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, stating, “This exposes the truth. International justice stands with us (Hamxs) against the Zionist entity.” https://t.co/jRVlXzBsez pic.twitter.com/WRlSPA0KUi
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Israel has long argued that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over its actions, as it is not a member of the court and disputes Palestine’s recognition as a state with territorial claims. Despite these objections, the ICC ruled that it has jurisdiction under the “territorial jurisdiction of Palestine,” enabling it to issue the arrest warrants.
The ICC’s decision has drawn criticism from U.S. lawmakers. Senate Majority Leader-elect John Thune called for immediate sanctions against the court. Thune, who will assume leadership when Republicans take control of the Senate in January 2025, said, “If the ICC and its prosecutor do not reverse their outrageous and unlawful actions to pursue arrest warrants against Israeli officials, the Senate should immediately pass sanctions legislation.”
Thune’s remarks follow bipartisan efforts in the U.S. House of Representatives to protect Israeli officials from international legal actions. He warned that the Republican Senate majority would prioritize legislation to counter the ICC’s actions if current Democratic leadership failed to act.
