War crimes: US opposes ICC arrest warrant for Isreali PM

The United States on Thursday firmly rejected the International Criminal Court’s issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

A spokesperson for the White House National Security Council criticised the decision, citing procedural concerns and questioning the speed of the Prosecutor’s actions.

According to Reuters, “The United States fundamentally rejects the Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials. We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” the spokesperson said.

The US government is reportedly consulting with its allies on potential next steps in response to the ICC’s actions.

The ICC’s decision, announced on Thursday, has drawn widespread international attention and controversy.

The arrest warrants stem from ongoing investigations into alleged war crimes in the region.

Netanyahu and Gallant have denied the accusations, with Israeli officials dismissing the ICC’s jurisdiction over the matter.

The ICC announced that the warrants were related to allegations of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024.

“The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest,” the Hague-based ICC said in a statement on Thursday.

A warrant had also been issued for Deif, it added.

According to the ICC’s statement on Thursday, the arrest warrants, initially classified as secret, were made public to protect witnesses, ensure the integrity of the investigation, and inform victims and their families.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan had requested the warrants earlier this year, citing ongoing violations related to the Gaza conflict.

“However, the Chamber decided to release the information below since conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing,” the tribunal said. “Moreover, the Chamber considers it to be in the interest of victims and their families that they are made aware of the warrants’ existence.”

The warrants accused Netanyahu and Gallant of involvement in crimes stemming from Israel’s military operations in Gaza, while Deif is wanted for his role in Hamas’s actions during the same period.

The ICC clarified that similar conduct to that described in the warrants is still ongoing.

The conflict began on October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a large-scale assault on Israel, resulting in the deaths of over 1,200 people, primarily civilians. In response, Israel initiated military actions in Gaza.

The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza has reported over 44,000 deaths and more than 100,000 injuries since the conflict began, with the violence continuing for over 13 months.

In a related development, the ICC had initially sought an arrest warrant for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh but dropped the request following his death in Tehran on July 31.

Claims about Deif’s death in a July 13 airstrike remain unconfirmed, as Hamas denies his demise.