Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said an arrest warrant issued against him by the International Criminal Court over his conduct during the Gaza war will not stop the country from defending itself. In a video statement, he said that no outrageous anti-Israel decision can stop us from defending our country by all means. We will not give in to pressure. Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity for their actions in Gaza. He refuted the allegations made by the international organization as ‘completely baseless’. Israel has been engaged in the conflict in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when a cross-border attack by Hamas militants killed 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
The judgment states that the court finds there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals deliberately deprived civilians in Gaza of goods essential for their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and Electricity is included. The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Mohammed Deif, one of the Hamas leaders. The ICC chief prosecutor had also requested warrants for two other senior Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniya, but they were both killed in the clashes. Despite the warrants, none of the suspects are likely to appear before judges in The Hague in the near future.
The Court has no police to enforce warrants, instead relying on the cooperation of its member states. The threat of arrest may make it difficult for Netanyahu and Galant to travel abroad. However, Russian President Vladimir Putin, wanted on an ICC warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, recently traveled to Mongolia, one of the court’s member states, although he was not arrested. Khan requested the warrant in May, accusing Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes including murder, deliberate attack on civilians and harassment.
