ICC issues arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas leader

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Netanyahu’s office said the ICC decision was “anti-semitic” and he will “not yield to pressure, will not be deterred” until Israel’s war objectives are met.

The ICC has “lost all legitimacy” after issuing the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, Israel’s Foreign Minister Gideon Saar said.

“A dark moment for the International Criminal Court,” Saar said on X, adding that it had issued “absurd orders without authority”.

There was no immediate comment from Gallant.

In a statement, Hamas welcomed the warrants against Gallant and Netanyahu and urged the court to expand accountability to all Israeli leaders.

Senior Hamas official Basem Naim told Reuters the warrants against the Israelis were an important step towards bringing justice for the victims.

“But it remains a limited and spiritual step if it was not backed practically by all countries to get this decision implemented in compliance with law and justice,” he said.

The EU’s foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell, said the decision was not a political one but made by a court and thus should be respected and implemented.

“The tragedy in Gaza has to stop,” Borrell said.

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Jordan’s foreign minister Ayman Safadi also said the ICC’s decision must be implemented, adding that the Palestinians deserved justice after what he termed Israel’s “war crimes” in Gaza.

The Netherlands’ foreign minister Caspar Veldkamp said his country was prepared to act upon the warrants, Dutch news agency ANP reported.

In the United States, Republican Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, said: “The court is a dangerous joke. It is now time for the US Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body.”

Israel’s 13-month campaign in Gaza has killed about 44,000 Palestinians and displaced nearly all the enclave’s population while creating a humanitarian crisis, Gaza officials say.

It launched the campaign in response to the October 2023, Hamas-led attack which killed 1,200 people in southern Israel, with more than 250 others taken hostage, Israel has said.

Reuters

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