Israeli President Isaac Herzog criticized the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In his view, it is an "unconscionable and outrageous decision."
"It’s a dark day for justice. A dark day for humanity. The ICC’s unconscionable, outrageous decision has turned universal justice into a universal mockery," Herzog stated. "It mocks the sacrifices of all those who fight for justice — from the Allied victory over the Nazis to the present day." The office of the Jewish head of state distributed his remarks.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the press release said.
According to the document, "the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber unanimously issued two decisions rejecting challenges" filed by Israel under the Rome Statute. "It also issued warrants of arrest for Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant," the press release said.
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Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as Hamas's military commander.
ReplyDeleteA statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.
A warrant was also issued for Mohammed Deif, although the Israeli military has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July.
The judges said there were “reasonable grounds” the three men bore "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
The Israeli prime minister’s office condemned the ICC’s decision as “antisemitic”, while Hamas said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant set an "important historical precedent".
It will now be up to the ICC's 124 member states - which do not include Israel or its ally, the United States - to decide whether or not to enforce the warrants.
For Netanyahu and Gallant, who was replaced as defence minister earlier this month, the chamber “found reasonable grounds to believe” that they “each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.
ReplyDeleteIt also found reasonable grounds to believe that “each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population”.
ReplyDeleteHamas welcomed the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, saying that it “constitutes an important historical precedent, and a correction to a long path of historical injustice against our people”.
ReplyDeleteIt also called on countries around the world to enforce the warrants and work to stop what it called “the crimes of genocide against defenceless civilians in the Gaza Strip”.
Israel has vehemently denied that its forces are committing genocide against Palestinian in Gaza.