The International Criminal Court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas’ military chief Mohammed Dei, last week, Thursday. Image: Getty images
(The Post News)- Israel has told the International Criminal Court that it will challenge the arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant related to their actions during the Gaza war, as confirmed by Netanyahu’s office.
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Arrest warrants were issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) last Thursday for Netanyahu, as well as his former defense chief and Hamas military leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, for alleged acts of war crimes and human rights violations during the Gaza conflict. The decision was made following ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s announcement on May 20th of his intent to obtain arrest warrants for crimes related to the October 7th attacks on Israel by Hamas and the subsequent Israeli military actions in Gaza.
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Israel has refused to accept the authority of the court in The Hague and refutes allegations of war crimes in Gaza. The warrants represent a significant milestone, as Netanyahu becomes the first Israeli leader to be called to appear before an international court for purported actions involving Palestinians in the 76-year conflict. Although ICC warrants do not ensure arrests, they can greatly limit Netanyahu’s travel to countries that are members of the ICC.
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According to court spokesperson Fadi El Abdallah, the decision to grant appeals will be left to the judges if requested. The regulations of the court permit the UN Security Council to approve a resolution that could temporarily halt or postpone an inquiry or a legal case for one year, with the option to extend this on a yearly basis.
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The court regulations permit the U.N. Security Council to pass a resolution that could temporarily halt or delay an inquiry or legal action for one year and could be extended each year. Following the issuance of a warrant, the country or individual named in an arrest warrant can contest the court’s jurisdiction or the admissibility of the case.
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