The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant for "war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza," according to the New York Times.
One Hamas leader has been issued an arrest warrant as well. Two other Hamas leaders were being investigated but the Israeli Defense Forces killed them before the paper could be delivered.
The ICC says there is enough evidence to believe that the Israeli leaders bear "criminal responsibility" for the humanitarian crisis in Gaza. As if there hasn't always been a "humanitarian crisis" in Gaza.
The warrants weren't made public, but it will be interesting to see why Israel is being blamed for a food crisis that Hamas leaders aid and abet by withholding food and medicine from Gaza residents.
Some members of the European Union are eager to arrest Netanyahu if he steps foot in their countries.
The top European Union's diplomat, Josep Borrell Fontelles, told reporters in Amman, “The decision of the court has to be respected and implemented."
“This decision is a binding decision on all state parties of the court, which includes all members of the European Union," he added.
Not unexpectedly, Netanyahu is defiant.
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not surrender to the pressures,” Netanyahu's office said in a statement. “He will not recoil or withdraw until all of the war’s goals — that were set at the start of the battle — are achieved.”
The U.S. lobbied against issuing the warrants, not wanting to make the choice between obeying international law and recognizing the cynicism of the warrants. Hamas, on the other hand, rejoiced.
Izzat al-Rishq, a senior Hamas official, said it didn't really matter if Netanyahu or Gallant were ever arrested. He said “the truth that has been revealed is that international justice is with us and against the Zionist entity."
Human Rights Watch was also pleased, saying, “These warrants should finally push the international community to address atrocities and secure justice for all victims in Palestine and Israel.” The "victims" in Israel are dead as a result of 50 years of Hamas terrorist atrocities. Kind of late in the day to be concerned about Israeli victims.
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Israeli leaders criticized the decision to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. “The decision has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom,” said Isaac Herzog, the Israeli president, accusing the court of turning “the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’s crimes against humanity.” Itamar Ben-Gvir, the hardline Israeli national security minister, said Israel should annex the occupied West Bank in response to the court’s decision.
Even Netanyahu's political opposition is backing him.
Benny Gantz, an Israeli opposition leader and critic of Netanyahu, slammed the warrants as “a historic disgrace that will never be forgotten.” Many in Israel still see the war in Gaza — launched last year in response to Hamas’s attack on southern Israel — as fundamentally just. While Netanyahu’s opponents have criticized his government’s failure to bring home the hostages taken by Hamas in that attack, there is less criticism over the civilian toll in Gaza.
In the coming months, Netanyahu will challenge Israel's allies to ignore the ICC flim-flam and allow him to visit their countries. That's when Israel will find out who its true friends are.
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