Israel to appeal ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, right, and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant attend a vote at the Knesset plenum in Jerusalem, March 13, 2024. (Courtesy of Flash90)
Israel announced Wednesday that it will appeal against the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The Israeli government also requested the court to suspend the warrants while the appeal is considered, according to a statement from the prime minister’s office.
The ICC issued the warrants last week, accusing Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes against humanity and war crimes related to Israel’s military campaign in Gaza, following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack.
Netanyahu has fiercely condemned the ICC’s actions, accusing the court of anti-Semitism and asserting that the charges will not deter Israel from defending itself.
“The State of Israel challenges the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court and the legitimacy of the arrest warrants issued,” the Israeli PM’s office stated.
Netanyahu further warned that if the court rejects Israel’s request, it will reveal what he described as the court’s bias against Israel.
The ICC has also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, whom Israel claimed to have killed in a July airstrike, though Hamas has not confirmed his death.
The court cited “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for war crimes, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, as well as crimes against humanity such as murder and persecution.
