Israel Appeals Against ICC Warrant For Netanyahu
Israel has informed the International Criminal Court (ICC) that it intends to appeal the arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The Israeli government has also requested that the court suspend the warrants while the appeal is processed.
The ICC issued the warrants last week, accusing Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes against humanity and war crimes in connection with Israel’s military actions against Hamas in Gaza, which were initiated after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack. The charges have been strongly denounced by Netanyahu and other Israeli officials.
Netanyahu criticized the ICC, accusing it of anti-Semitism and reaffirming Israel’s commitment to defending itself. His office stated that Israel challenges the ICC’s jurisdiction and the validity of the arrest warrants, suggesting that a denial of the appeal would expose the court’s bias against Israel, particularly in the eyes of its allies, including the United States.
The ICC has not yet responded directly to Israel’s appeal. A spokesperson for the ICC stated that it would be up to the court’s judges to decide on any appeal requests.
In addition to the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. Israel claimed to have killed Deif in an airstrike in Gaza in July, although Hamas has not confirmed his death. The ICC has stated that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant are criminally responsible for war crimes such as starvation as a method of warfare, as well as crimes against humanity including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
