In a historic decision, the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, citing allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes. This marks the first time that the ICC has targeted a U.S. ally.
The ICC’s Pretrial Chamber I stated there are reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for:
Intentionally directing attacks against civilian populations
Murder, persecution and other inhumane acts
Starvation as a method of warfare
These accusations stem from actions taken in the ongoing conflict in Gaza to eradicate Hamas, which is designated as a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S. State Department, following its Oct. 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas military chief Muhammad Deif. Israeli soldiers killed Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar in October, whom Netanyahu described as “the person who committed the most terrible massacre in the history of our nation since the Holocaust.”
The New York Times has more on the extraordinary blow to Israel’s prestige as it fights Iran and Iranian proxies on multiple fronts:
Mr. Netanyahu’s office swiftly rejected what it called “absurd and false accusations,” insisting in a statement on Thursday that Israel would continue to defend its citizens by fighting in Gaza. The Israeli leader “will not surrender to the pressures; he will not recoil or withdraw until all of the war’s goals — that were set at the start of the battle — are achieved,” Mr. Netanyahu’s office said.
The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government.
— Visegrád 24 (@visegrad24) November 21, 2024
Israel has lawfully defended its people and borders from genocidal terrorists.
You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC and UN come January.
says Trump's… pic.twitter.com/IQsZ3Tehz0
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, issued a statement that did not mention the warrant for Mr. Deif. He said that whether or not Mr. Netanyahu or Mr. Gallant were arrested, “the truth that has been revealed is that international justice is with us and against” Israel.
More than 100 member states of the ICC are now legally obligated to detain Netanyahu and Gallant if they enter their jurisdictions. While the U.S. initially signed the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, it later chose not to ratify the treaty. Bipartisan officials in Washington have expressed concerns about the potential for the court to prosecute U.S. military personnel and officials for actions taken abroad.
Every member of the ICC, which includes us & our European neighbours, are now legally obliged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they set foot on their territory. pic.twitter.com/MX8BNrE1XX
— Saul Staniforth (@SaulStaniforth) November 21, 2024
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan suggested that U.S. officials bluntly told him the institution he represented was “built for thugs like Putin.”
Thursday’s announcement makes it clear that the court doesn’t share this view.
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There is a reason for the old adage that “War is Hell.” Warfare is not supposed to kind or humane. War is inhumane by definition, war is unkind by definition. I love the way people just conveniently forget what started this war and who started it. Were the Hamas terrorists kind or humane when they killed children in completely horrific manners? Were the Hamas terrorists kind or humane when they repeatedly raped young women and when the gunned down unarmed civilians? No, go whine about what is being done to them to some of the terrorist lovers and supporters we have in this country. The college idiots that should be arrested and put in prison for supporting such disgusting animals and human garbage. Israel has the right to not only defend themselves but to eliminate the threat to its people once and for all. I personally think that they should be left alone to deal with this threat the way they see fit. They should wipe Hamas and their supporters off of the face of the Earth permanently.
Hmm, but no arrest warrants for the Iranian leaders or Hamas, Houthie, Hezbollah terrorists?
……………..Fk the ICC!