Israel Gaza: Netanyahu condemns ICC war crimes arrest warrants
EPA / REUTERS / PROVIDED
From the left to the right: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the International Criminal Court's move to issue arrest warrants for war crimes targeting him and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, labeling it as "antisemitic."
He stated that the ICC was wrongly accusing them of intentionally aiming at civilians, emphasizing that they make every effort to prevent harm to non-combatants.
The ICC has also released an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, a commander of Hamas. According to Israel, he was killed in Gaza back in July.
ICC judges stated that there were "reasonable grounds" to suspect that the three individuals had "criminal responsibility" for the offenses committed during the conflict between Israel and Hamas.
US President Joe Biden described the International Criminal Court's action against Israeli officials as "outrageous."
Biden stated, "Regardless of what the ICC may suggest, there is no comparison whatsoever between Israel and Hamas. We will consistently support Israel in the face of security threats."
Both Israel and Hamas dismiss the accusations put forth by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
View: Netanyahu criticizes the ICC's arrest order.
In a statement released on Thursday, Netanyahu remarked, "The decision by the international court in The Hague, which reflects antisemitism, is akin to a contemporary version of the Dreyfus affair, and it will ultimately conclude in a similar manner."
He was talking about a well-known incident of antisemitism that occurred in France more than a hundred years ago.
"The Israeli Prime Minister stated that the court in The Hague is claiming that we have intentionally adopted a policy of starvation."
"We've provided Gaza with 700,000 tons of food to support its people. We send out millions of text messages, make phone calls, and distribute leaflets to help guide the residents of Gaza to safety. In contrast, Hamas is actively trying to keep people in danger, even resorting to violence and using them as human shields."
Netanyahu stated that Israel would "disregard the legitimacy" of the ICC's ruling.
Earlier this week, the United Nations cautioned that Palestinians in certain areas of northern Gaza, which are surrounded by Israeli forces, are "experiencing deteriorating circumstances for survival," as they have received almost no assistance for the past 40 days.
Gallant stated that the ICC equates Israel with the violent leaders of Hamas, thereby giving legitimacy to horrific acts such as the killing of infants, the sexual assault of women, and the kidnapping of elderly people from their homes.
Ehud Olmert, a past Israeli prime minister, shared with the BBC that although he has concerns about Netanyahu's approach to the conflict with Hamas, he does not support the decision made by the ICC.
"Israel has not engaged in genocide or war crimes that warrant the accusations against the prime minister and the defense minister," Olmert stated during an interview on Radio 4's World Tonight program.
Hamas did not reference the warrant for Deif, but they stated that the actions taken against Netanyahu and Gallant represented a significant historical milestone and a rectification of the longstanding injustices faced by their community.
People in Gaza feel optimistic that Israeli leaders will finally face accountability for their actions.
Israel refutes claims that its military is engaging in genocide in Gaza, a matter currently under consideration in a different case at the International Court of Justice.
A young girl is surrounded by the debris of buildings that have been flattened by Israeli airstrikes in Khan Yunis, located in the Gaza Strip, earlier this month.
The effect of the warrants issued by the ICC will rely on the actions of the court's 124 member countries, which do not include Israel or the United States, in determining whether they choose to implement them.
A number of European nations have expressed their support for the decisions made by the International Criminal Court (ICC). The British government, through Downing Street, also affirmed its commitment to honoring the ICC's independence.
The charges brought by the prosecutor against the three individuals date back to October 7, 2023. On that day, Hamas fighters launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 individuals and the abduction of 251 others, who were taken to Gaza as hostages.
Israel initiated a military operation aimed at dismantling Hamas, which, according to the health ministry controlled by Hamas, has resulted in the deaths of at least 44,000 individuals in Gaza.
The ICC pre-trial chamber determined that there is sufficient evidence suggesting that Deif may be accountable for serious offenses, including crimes against humanity such as murder, extermination, torture, and various forms of sexual violence. Additionally, he is also implicated in war crimes like murder, cruel treatment, torture, hostage-taking, attacks on personal dignity, and sexual violence.
It also stated that there are valid reasons to think that the acts categorized as crimes against humanity were part of a broad and organized assault led by Hamas and various armed factions targeting the civilian population in Israel.
The court determined that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that both Netanyahu and Gallant, the latter who was removed from his position as defense minister earlier this month, share criminal responsibility. They are accused of being co-perpetrators in several serious offenses committed together with others, including the war crime of using starvation as a tactic in warfare, as well as crimes against humanity such as murder, persecution, and other inhumane actions.
The investigation revealed enough evidence to suggest that "each of them could be held accountable as civilian leaders for the war crime of deliberately targeting the civilian population."
Israel reports that 97 individuals who were taken hostage during the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, continue to be held in Gaza.
