US President Joe Biden ruled “scandalous” the arrest warrant requested against Benjamin Netanyahu by the Prosecutor General of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan. He declared, Monday, May 20, that he had submitted a request for the issuance of an arrest warrant against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, for war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed in the Gaza Strip.
“We reject the equivalence established by the prosecutor between Israel and Hamas. It’s a shame “declared in a press release the American Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, adding also that the ICC had not “no jurisdiction” on Israel.
“Based on the evidence collected and reviewed by my office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin Netanyahu, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defense of Israel, bear responsibility criminal offense of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza Strip) from at least October 8, 2023 »declared in a communicated the ICC prosecutor, who sits in The Hague.
The Attorney General accuses them of crimes such as “deliberately starving civilians”, “intentional homicide” And “extermination and/or murder”. “We affirm that the crimes against humanity referred to in the petitions were a continuation of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the Palestinian civilian population. According to our findings, some of these crimes continue to be committed”said Mr. Khan.
Yahya Sinouar targeted by the request
Three Hamas leaders are also affected by the request: Ismaïl Haniyeh (head of the Hamas political bureau), Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, better known as Mohammed Deif, commander of the Ezzedine Al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, and Yahya Sinouar (leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip). The ICC prosecutor believes that they “bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine (in the Gaza Strip) as of October 7, 2023”date of the Hamas attack on Israel.
The accusations against the leaders of the Palestinian organization include “extermination”, “rape and other forms of sexual violence”, “hostage-taking as a war crime” And “intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population as a war crime.” The alleged acts were allegedly committed on Palestinian territory and in Israel.
It is now up to the ICC judges to determine whether the conditions are met to issue these arrest warrants requested by the Attorney General. If these judges decide to issue the arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, this means that in theory, any of the 124 member states of the ICC would be obliged to arrest him if he goes to their territory. The Court has no police force to enforce its mandates and relies on the willingness of member states to play the game.
Hamas and Israel denounce the decision
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz denounced a “scandalous decision” and one “a historic dishonor”. Request warrants against “the Prime Minister and the Minister of Defense of the State of Israel alongside the abominable Nazi monsters of Hamas”of the “Hamas murderers and rapists” Who “are committing crimes against humanity against our brothers and sisters” is a “frontal attack” And “a historical shame that will forever be remembered”estimates the minister in a press release.
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Israeli President Isaac Herzog is outraged in a press release from the “unilateral approach” of prosecutor Karim Khan, ruling that she “constitutes a political measure that encourages terrorists throughout the world”. Benny Gantz, member of the war cabinet, for his part castigated “a historic crime”. “The State of Israel embarked on the most just war, after a massacre perpetrated by a terrorist organization against its citizens. The State of Israel fights in the most moral manner in history, while adhering to international law, and has an independent and strong judicial system. Placing the leaders of a country fighting to protect its citizens on the same level as bloodthirsty terrorists is moral blindness.”he reacted on.
Hamas denounces “the attempts of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to equate the victim with the executioner by issuing arrest warrants against a number of leaders of the Palestinian resistance”according to the statement from the Palestinian Islamist group.
The French left welcomes the ICC announcement
“Israel/Palestine. October 7 [2023], the rebels demanded punishment for ALL war crimes. The International Criminal Court issues an arrest warrant against those it accuses of being the perpetrators based on its investigation”reacted, Monday onJean-Luc Mélenchon, the leader of La France insoumise (LFI).
“We will be completely satisfied when the genocide stops. France must implement the minister’s promise [des armées, Sébastien] Lecornu[,] and prosecute the French who participate in the genocide”he added, referring to dual French-Israeli nationals who serve in the Israeli army.
Focusing on the part of the ICC decisions targeting Israel, the coordinator of LFI, Manuel Bompardconsidered that “France and the European Union must take note of this by declaring an embargo on arms deliveries and by deciding on sanctions against the Israeli government”.
Same approach for Fabien Roussel, the leader of the communists: “War crimes and crimes against humanity. These are the words of the International Criminal Court which issues an arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu”he also said on.
“Historic request from the ICC prosecutor to obtain arrest warrants against [Benyamin] Netanyahu, his defense minister and three Hamas leaders, for war crimes and crimes against humanity. International law above all”declared, for his part, the first secretary of the Socialist Party, Olivier Faureincluding in its reaction Israel and Hamas.
“ICC arrest warrant, only way to stop the massacre in Gaza”estimated the environmentalist MP Sandrine Rousseau.