The conflict between Israel and Hamas has taken another significant turn, with the International Criminal Court (ICC) reportedly considering issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other senior government officials. The development stems from accusations that Israel’s military response to Hamas’ October 7 attacks has supposedly been too harsh.
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The looming possibility of legal action from the international body has already sparked debate about the issue.
Reports suggest that Israeli officials are concerned about the development.
Israel is working through diplomatic channels to try to stop the warrants being issued, the official said Monday.
When asked about media reports of the arrest warrants, the ICC told NBC News that it “has an ongoing independent investigation in relation to the Situation in the State of Palestine” and that “we have no further comment to make at this stage.”
The court launched an investigation three years ago into possible war crimes committed by both Israel and Palestinian militants going back to the Israel-Hamas war in 2014. It has given no public indication that arrest warrants are imminent, and it was not clear whether Israel was also expecting arrest warrants for any Hamas leaders.
Ever since Israel began retaliating against Hamas, world leaders and organizations have called for a ceasefire, urging the Jewish state not to defend itself against Hamas’ onslaught. President Joe Biden, while affirming his support for Israel, has also tried to rein in the country’s military effort to eliminate the terrorist organization. Hamas is now considering a new ceasefire proposal from Israel.
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Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the ICC, paid a visit to the region in December and said his investigation was “moving forward at pace, with rigor, with determination and with an insistence that we act not on emotion but on solid evidence.”
However, given the apparent bias coming from international organizations like the United Nations and others, it would be reasonable to suspect that this investigation might not be as fair as Khan would have us believe.
It is worth mentioning that even if a warrant is issued for Netanyahu or other officials, it would not necessarily mean these authorities would attempt to imprison them. Another report suggests that “[a]rrest warrants from the court would probably be seen in much of the world as a humbling moral rebuke” and possibly “affect Israel’s policies as the country presses its military campaign against Hamas.”
ICC warrants could, however, impede travel for the officials named. Countries that are signatories to the organization’s founding treaty could detain individuals who have warrants against them on their soil.
Netanyahu, on social media, asserted that action from the ICC “would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.”
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He also vowed that “Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.”
The ICC is headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands. It investigates and tries individuals charged with grave crimes, including genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
It is also worth mentioning that no mention of the ICC considering warrants against Hamas leaders and operatives has yet been reported.