Israel rejects ICC’s arrest warrants against Netanyahu on Gaza

The Israeli Government has rejected the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against the Prime Minister, Benjamin Natanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged “war crimes” in Gaza.

The court said on Thursday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival”.

It was reported that the ICC Prosecutor, Karim Khan first applied for the warrants six months ago, precisely in August, he called on the court to make a decision, saying, “Any unjustified delay in these proceedings detrimentally affects the rights of victims.”
In a response from the Israeli Prime Minister’s office through a statement on Thursday said Netanyahu will not give in to pressure and will continue to pursue all the objectives that Israel set out to achieve in its just war against Hamas and the Iranian axis of terror.

According to the statement, “The antisemitic decision of the International Criminal Court is a modern Dreyfus trial – and will end the same way.

“Israel utterly rejects the false and absurd charges of the International Criminal Court, a biased and discriminatory political body.
“No war is more just than the war Israel has been waging in Gaza since October 7th 2023, when Hamas terrorist organization launched a murderous assault and perpetrated largest massacre against the Jewish People since the Holocaust.

“The decision to issue an arrest warrant against the Prime Minister was made by a corrupt chief prosecutor who is trying to save himself from sexual harassment accusations and biased judges who are motivated by antisemitic hatred of Israel”.

The statement further claimed that the ICC prosecutor lied when he told American senators that he would take no action until he had visited Israel and heard its side.
“Instead, he cancelled his arrival in Israel last May, several days after suspicions of sexual harassment were made against him, and announced his intention to issue arrest warrants against the Prime Minister and former Defense Minister.

“No anti-Israel decision will prevent the State of Israel from defending its citizens. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not give in to pressure.  

“He will continue to pursue all the objectives that Israel set out to achieve in its just war against Hamas and the Iranian axis of terror”, the statement concluded.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif for alleged “crimes against humanity and war crimes”. Israel said in August that Deif was killed in an air strike in southern Gaza.