Israel contests the validity of the International Criminal Court's petition for an arrest warrant directed towards Prime Minister Netanyahu
The Israeli administration has contested the validity of the petition submitted to the International Criminal Court (ICC) seeking a detainment order against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. As reported on X on Friday, Israel "directly questioned the authority of the ICC and the legitimacy of the prosecutor's demand for warrant issuances against Israel's Prime Minister and Defense Minister," stated Oren Marmorstein, spokesperson for the Israeli Foreign Ministry.
Prosecutor Karim Khan requested warrants on May 20 against Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, along with several prominent figures from the radical Islamic Palestinian group Hamas, for allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes during the Gaza conflict. According to Marmorstein, Khan "neglected to grant Israel the chance to scrutinize the accusations raised by the prosecutor."
The United States has also shown strong disapproval towards Khan's actions against Netanyahu and Gallant. President Joe Biden referred to the warrant requests as "provocative." If a panel of judges approves the requests, the 124 ICC member states would theoretically be required to detain the suspects if they are present within their territory. This might lead to complications in the travels of Netanyahu and Gallant, for instance, to the EU.
Israel has been engaged in a significant military operation in the Gaza Strip since last October. This is a retaliation towards the unexpected large-scale attack orchestrated by Hamas against Israeli soil on October 7. According to Israeli sources, at least 1,205 people were reportedly killed, and 251 others were captured during this attack in the Gaza Strip. Conversely, as reported by Hamas (which cannot be independently confirmed), more than 41,000 people have been killed during Israel's offensive to date.
The Israeli government vehemently opposes the issuance of an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Netanyahu, viewing it as an overreach of the ICC's authority. If issued, enforcing the arrest warrant could potentially complicate Netanyahu's travel plans, particularly to international destinations.
