The decision makes Netanyahu and Gallant, who has since been fired as defense minister, international suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a ceasefire to end the 13-month conflict, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported
The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, according to the court’s website (ICC). The Israeli prime minister and former defense minister are wanted for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023, to at least May 20, 2024, the day the prosecution submitted the arrest warrant requests. The arrest warrants are classified as “secret” to protect witnesses and ensure the investigation is conducted.
The decision makes Netanyahu and Gallant, who has since been fired as defense minister, international suspects and is likely to further isolate them and complicate efforts to negotiate a ceasefire to end the 13-month conflict, the Israeli daily Ha’aretz reported online. The two are now on par with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whose arrest warrant was issued by the ICC in March last year, preventing him from attending the G20 summit in Brazil this week as he awaits a meeting of the Court’s members.
ARREST WARRANT
An arrest warrant was also issued for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, better known as “Deif,” for “alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in the territory of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine since at least October 7, 2023,” according to the ICC. He is a Hamas leader who Israel claims to have killed in the meantime. The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has asked judges to issue arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders and two Israeli leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the seven-month war in Gaza, the ICC and the Israeli government announced on May 20. The chief prosecutor then called for an immediate end to all pressure and intimidation of ICC prosecutors and judges, without clarifying who is behind these actions.
CHARGES
According to the ICC prosecutor, Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for the death of civilians by starvation as a method of warfare, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to health and injury, as well as cruel treatment, murder, deliberate targeting of the civilian population in attacks, extermination and killing, including starvation, persecution and other inhumane acts. “We allege that the crimes against humanity with which you are charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population in accordance with a state policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day,” the prosecutor said.
COUNTRIES WHERE YOU CAN BE ARRESTED
Israel received the full support of the United States in this case, but resentment was present even though Israel is not a member of the Court. Israel’s foreign minister at the time, Israel Katz, called the ICC’s action “outrageous” and stressed that no power on earth would prevent Israel from retrieving the hostages and overthrowing Hamas. Ha’aretz interprets that the practical implications of the order may be limited because Israel and the US are not members of the Court.
The ICC, in turn, has no coercive means to enforce the order and relies on the cooperation of its members, which is not up to expectations: Putin visited Mongolia, which is a member of the Court, a month ago and did not arrest him. Neither Israel nor its closest ally, the US, are members, nor are the potential ceasefire talks countries, Qatar and Egypt, although this may be a moot point since neither Netanyahu nor Gallant have attended the talks.
Jordan and Tunisia are the only Arab member states other than Palestine. Another staunch ally of Israel, Germany, is a member of the ICC, as are all European Union countries. Switzerland is a member, as is Japan. All Latin American countries, bar Cuba and Haiti, are members of the ICC, as are 33 African countries.
