Israeli Officials have released information that they believe the International Criminal Court (ICC) Is Preparing Arrest Warrants against their Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and some other Hamas top officials over war the ongoing war in Gaza, 9News Nigeria learned.
According to a publication in The Times of Israel newspaper, Israeli and foreign officials have said it appears the International Criminal Court (ICC) is preparing to move against top Israeli and Hamas officials. However, The Prosecutor’s office of the ICC has declined to comment on the document, the report says.
In an attempt to counter the ICC’s campaign, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) gave a rare press briefing on Shabbat, highlighting the country’s humanitarian efforts in supporting a temporary pier in Gaza. It has been reported that the United States is also involved in a last-ditch diplomatic effort to prevent the ICC from proceeding with the arrest warrants.
Analysts have noted that Prime Minister Netanyahu is under significant stress due to the potential arrest warrant, which would have serious implications for Israel’s international standing. Netanyahu has been actively working to prevent the issuance of the warrant, particularly through communication with the administration of U.S. President Joe Biden.
There are indications that the Israeli government is operating under the assumption that the ICC’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, may issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi in the near future.
In response to these reports, Foreign Minister Israel Katz has expressed the expectation that the court will refrain from issuing arrest warrants. Katz emphasized that Israel adheres to all laws of war and instructed Israeli diplomatic missions worldwide to prepare for a potential surge in antisemitism if the ICC proceeds with the arrest warrants.
It is important to note that Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction. However, the Palestinian territories were accepted as a member state in 2015.
Prime Minister Netanyahu stated that any decisions made by the ICC would not affect Israel’s actions but warned that they would establish a dangerous precedent. Israel’s concerns about potential arrest warrants by the ICC have been growing, as reported by Channel 12, prompting an emergency discussion at the Prime Minister’s Office.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has previously stated that the court has jurisdiction over potential war crimes committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel and Israelis in the Gaza Strip. The ICC is investigating alleged crimes in Gaza and has expressed its intention to hold accountable those found to have violated the law.
The Gaza war, which began in October, has resulted in significant casualties and a humanitarian crisis. The exact number of casualties is disputed, with Israeli tallies indicating that approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed, while the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza claims over 34,000 Palestinian fatalities, including both terrorists and civilians.
The IDF has reported killing over 13,000 terrorists in Gaza, along with approximately 1,000 inside Israel during and immediately after the October 7 attack. The IDF has also suffered 261 soldier casualties since the ground invasion began, bringing the total number of soldiers killed since October 7 to 604.
It is worth noting that the ICC’s investigation is separate from the genocide case against Israel launched at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also based in The Hague. The ICJ is a UN court that handles disputes between states, while the ICC is a treaty-based criminal court that focuses on individual criminal responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
