The Israel-Hamas conflict has taken a new turn. The International Criminal Court is reportedly considering issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as other senior government officials. This development is a result of accusations that Israel has responded too harshly to Hamas attacks on October 7.
Already, the looming threat of legal action by the international organization has sparked a debate on the subject.
Israeli officials have expressed concern about this development, according to reports.
An official told reporters on Monday that Israel uses diplomatic channels to prevent the warrants from being issued.
The ICC responded to NBC News by saying that they “have an ongoing independent investigation in relation to the Situation in Palestine” and “we have nothing further to say at this stage.”
Three years ago, the court began an investigation into possible war crimes that may have been committed by Israeli and Palestinian militants dating back to the Israel-Hamas War in 2014. The court has not made any public announcements that warrants will be issued. It is also unclear whether Israel expects arrest warrants to be issued for Hamas leaders.
Since Israel started retaliating against Hamas, leaders from around the world have called for a truce and urged Israel not to defend itself. While reaffirming his support for Israel and the military efforts of the country to eliminate the terrorist group, President Joe Biden has tried to restrain the military efforts. Hamas has now considered a new Israeli ceasefire proposal.
Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor at the ICC visited the region in December. He said, “My investigation is moving forward with pace, rigor, determination, and an insistence on acting not on emotions but on solid proof.”
It is reasonable to assume that the investigation may not be as impartial as Khan claims.
Even if a court issued a warrant for Netanyahu or another official, this does not mean that the authorities will try to jail them. The report states, “Arrest orders from the court will probably be viewed in most of the world’s eyes as a moral rebuke.” It could also “affect Israel’s policies” as it continues its military campaign against Hamas.
ICC warrants may, however, impede the travel of the officials named. Signatory countries to the founding treaty of the organization could detain people who have warrants on them.
On social media, Netanyahu asserted the ICC’s action “would set a dangerous precedent that would threaten the soldiers and officials from all democracies who are fighting savage terrorism, and wanton aggression.”
He further declared that “Israel would never accept any attempt from the ICC to undermine its inherent self-defense right.”
The Hague is the headquarters of The International Criminal Court (ICC). The ICC investigates and prosecutes individuals accused of grave crimes such as genocide and war crimes.
It’s also worth mentioning, that there has been no report about the ICC issuing warrants for Hamas leaders or operatives.
