Israel – Gaza: The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant for its former Defense Minister and Hamas commander Benjamin Netanyahu

Judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants this Thursday against Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former Defense Minister, Yoav Galant.

An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, despite the Israeli military’s claim that he was killed in an airstrike in Gaza in July.

ICC judges say they have found “reasonable” evidence to claim that all three are responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the war between Israel and Hamas.

Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.

it will depend on 124 member countries of ICC – of which neither Israel nor the United States is found – decide whether to execute orders.

Netanyahu’s most recent trip abroad was to the United States last July. Last year he visited many other countries including the United Kingdom.

The ICC has been part of the international judicial system since 2002 and has jurisdiction to prosecute perpetrators of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide in the territory of states that have signed the Rome Statute by which it was established.

Although Israel has never signed the treaty and does not recognize the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court, it pledged in 2021 that its jurisdiction extend to the occupied West Bank and Gaza as the Secretary-General of the United Nations called for a resolution on Palestinians. The admission has been accepted. Rome Statute.

In May, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan sought arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deaf, and two other Hamas leaders who have since been deposed: Ismail Haniya and Yahya Sinwar.

Although Israel claimed that Deif also died, the court claims that his death could not be confirmed.

The prosecutor’s indictment is linked to the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen attacked southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking another 251 hostage.

Israel responded to the attack by launching a military campaign to eliminate Hamas, during which at least 44,000 people have been killed in GazaAccording to the region’s health ministry.

Khan accused Hamas leaders of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including extermination, murder, hostage-taking, rape and torture.

With regard to Netanyahu and Gallant, who was relieved of his post of defense minister by the prime minister this month amid differences of opinion between the two, the investigation believes both acted as co-authors of war crimes. Took criminal responsibility.

Netanyahu and Gallant will be held responsible for acts such as the use of hunger as a weapon of war, murder, persecution and other “inhumane acts”.

The court holds that both are responsible as “civilian superiors for the war crime of deliberately directing attacks against the civilian population”.

According to the ICC, the Chamber “found reasonable grounds to believe” that Daef was “responsible for crimes against humanity including murder, extermination, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence.”

They also accused him of war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, hostage-taking, attacks on personal dignity and rape, and other forms of sexual violence.

Similarly, the ICC said it had reason to believe that these crimes against humanity were “part of a widespread and systematic attack led by Hamas and other armed groups.” against the Israeli civilian population,

For Israeli leaders, the allegations include deliberate attacks against civilians and the use of starvation as a weapon of war, as well as extermination and murder.

“Each of them, as civilian superiors, bears criminal responsibility for the war crime of deliberately directing attacks against the civilian population,” the ICC said.

The Israeli Prime Minister’s office said it “completely rejects false and absurd allegations of the International Criminal Court”.

Furthermore, he called the ICC decision anti-Semitic and “a modern Dreyfus trial” that would “end the same way”, referring to the unjust conviction of a Jewish army officer on trumped-up charges of treason in 19th-century France.

“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not yield to pressure and will continue to fulfill all the objectives achieved by Israel in its just war against Hamas and the Iranian terrorist axis,” he said.

There was no immediate response from Gallant, but in May he forcefully rejected arrest warrant requests from the ICC prosecutor.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog described the Chamber’s decision as “reprehensible” and said the ICC had “made universal justice a universal laughingstock.”

“This decision has chosen the side of terror and evil rather than democracy and freedom and has turned the justice system into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity,” he said.

Hamas welcomed the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant, saying “set an important historical precedent

And redressing the long path of historical injustice against our people.”

He also called on countries around the world to work to enforce orders and stop “crimes of genocide against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip.”

Israel has denied that its forces are carrying out genocide against Palestinians in Gaza.

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