Amal Clooney Suggests Warrent for Netanyahu's Arrest
Human rights attorney Amal Clooney recently disclosed her involvement in recommending the application for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Joav Galant, and Hamas leaders. The 46-year-old lawyer, famous for her humanitarian work, shared details of her role in the matter via a letter posted on her foundation's website.
Clooney, along with other legal experts, came to a consensus to recommend the output of arrest warrants to Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC). This step was taken due to accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel, in relation to the Gaza conflict that has been ongoing for over seven months.
Khan announced these arrest warrants on Monday, justifying his decision by stating that the alleged offenders - Netanyahu, Galant, Jihia al-Sinwar (Hamas' leader), Mohammed Deif (Deputy leader of Hamas), and Ismail Haniya (Foreign chief of Hamas) - were responsible for these crimes.
In her letter, Clooney elaborated on her commitment to the rule of law and protecting innocent lives, stating, "I served on this panel because I believe in the rule of law and the need to safeguard the lives of civilians." According to Clooney, the foundation regulating war's impact on civilians was created a century ago and has universal application for all countries.
White House Dismisses ICC's Request: No Jurisdiction
The members of the panel recommending arrest warrants to Chief Prosecutor Khan consisted of specialists in international humanitarian law and international criminal law. Notably, two of them were previous judges from courts in The Hague, where the ICC is situated. Ultimately, a panel of three judges will make a decision on whether the arrest warrants should be issued and trials initiated.
Diverging from this pursuit of justice, the White House vehemently criticized the ICC's pursuit of arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Galant, labelling the request as "outrageous" and "unfounded". Furthermore, the White House emphatically underlined that the ICC has "no jurisdiction" over the situation. Neither the United States nor Israel are signatories to the ICC. As per CNN, United States officials are reportedly planning retaliatory measures against the International Court of Justice.
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Source: www.ntv.de
