Paris has officially announced its support for the International Criminal Court (ICC), whose prosecutor, Karim Khan, has requested arrest warrants against Israeli leaders – including the Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu -, as well as the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
“France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations”wrote, in a press release published on the night of Monday May 20 to Tuesday May 21, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, regarding these arrest warrants.
“On October 7, France condemned the anti-Semitic massacres perpetrated by Hamas. This terrorist group claimed responsibility for barbaric attacks against civilians, accompanied by acts of torture and sexual violence which it itself documented, including by broadcasting and celebrating them.continues Paris.
About Israel, “France has been warning for many months about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and in particular about the unacceptable nature of civilian losses in the Gaza Strip and insufficient humanitarian access”, adds the press release. And to emphasize that a “sustainable political solution” is here ” alone “ way for “restore a horizon of peace”.
No police force to enforce warrants
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said Monday he had requested arrest warrants against Benjamin Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, for crimes including “deliberately starving civilians”, “intentional homicide” And “extermination and/or murder” in connection with the Israeli operation in Gaza.
Karim Khan also requested warrants against three senior Hamas leaders − Ismaïl Haniyeh, Mohammed Deif and Yahya Sinouar − for notably “extermination”, “rape and other forms of sexual violence” And “hostage-taking as a war crime”.
If the ICC judges decide to issue the arrest warrant against Benjamin Netanyahu, this means that in theory, any of the 124 member states of this court would be obliged to arrest him if he surrendered on their territory. territory. But even if the mandate could complicate some of Mr. Netanyahu’s travels, the ICC has no police force to enforce its mandates and relies on the willingness of its member states to play the game.
Several leaders of the French left welcomed the ICC announcement
“As Prime Minister of Israel, I reject with disgust the Hague Prosecutor’s comparison between Israel”a country “democratic”And “Hamas mass murderers”, commented Mr. Netanyahu. The Israeli Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, very quickly denounced a “scandalous decision”, “a historic dishonor” for the ICC, which has its headquarters in The Hague.
Palestinian Hamas, for its part, said “strongly condemn” the decision of the Court prosecutor and denounced his “attempts” of“equating the victim with the executioner”.
If Paris supports the ICC, American President Joe Biden defended Israel in the face of international justice, judging “scandalous” the request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders. His head of diplomacy, Antony Blinken, declared that the magistrate’s approach was ” a shame “. Germany regretted the “simultaneous request” of the prosecutor who gives according to Berlin “the impression of a false equivalence” between the Israeli leaders and those of Hamas.
In France, several leaders of the left welcomed the ICC’s announcement on Monday.