Netanyahu denounces his Gaza conflict arrest move

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has strongly criticised the International Criminal Court's Prosecutor for pursuing arrest warrants against him for alleged war crimes in the Gaza conflict.

According to Mr. Netanyahu, he strongly denounced any comparison between "democratic Israel" and what he referred to as "mass murderers."

The Biden administration strongly criticised the International Criminal Court's attempts to obtain arrest warrants for top Israeli officials and Hamas leaders on Monday. The administration stated that the court's actions equated the terrorist organisation and a key US ally.

In a recent statement, the chief ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, expressed his belief that there is sufficient evidence to suggest that Mr. Netanyahu and his Defence Minister, Yoav Gallant, may be criminally responsible for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The International Criminal Court is currently pursuing a warrant for Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, on charges of war crimes.

Israel and the US, its main ally, are not part of the ICC, which was established in 2002.

About the events of October 7, it is essential to note that both the Israeli and Hamas leaders have faced severe accusations. On that day, a series of attacks carried out by Hamas gunmen resulted in the tragic loss of approximately 1,200 lives. At the same time, 252 individuals were taken as hostages and transported back to Gaza. 

The attack has been the catalyst for the ongoing conflict, resulting in a devastating death toll of at least 35,500 Palestinians in Gaza, as reported by the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

In a statement on Monday, Mr. Biden made it clear that he sees no comparison whatsoever between Israel and Hamas.

Israel is making every effort to prioritise the safety of civilians, stated Mr. Biden.

The US Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, agreed with the president's disapproval, stating that Washington firmly opposes the action.

This is a disgrace, he stated. The ICC lacks jurisdiction in this particular case.

According to Mr. Blinken, the request for arrest warrants could potentially undermine the current efforts to achieve a ceasefire agreement.

Mr. Khan has filed applications for arrest warrants for Mr. Gallant, Hamas's political leader, Ismail Haniyeh, and the group's military chief, Mohammed Deif.

According to reports, the prime minister and defence minister of Israel are under suspicion for alleged crimes such as using starvation as a method of warfare, murder, intentionally targeting civilians, and extermination.

According to the Prosecutor, the alleged crimes in the case of the Hamas leaders started on October 7, 2023, when the group initiated its attack on Israel. As for the Israeli leaders, the alleged crimes began on October 8, 2023.

In a statement released on Monday, the ICC stood by its position, asserting that despite extensive efforts, it has yet to receive any concrete evidence of meaningful action being taken within Israel to address the alleged crimes or the individuals involved in the investigation.

The ICC judges are currently deliberating on whether to issue the warrants. If they decide to proceed, countries that have ratified the ICC statute must apprehend the individuals if the opportunity arises.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticised the request for his arrest, dismissing it as a baseless and ludicrous order.

He questioned the audacity of the ICC in daring to compare Hamas and Israel, as he expressed in a public statement in Hebrew.

Mr. Netanyahu said the comparison was a "distortion of reality."

In a fiery statement, he levelled a serious accusation against the Prosecutor, claiming that their actions were only exacerbating the already rampant issue of anti-Semitism worldwide.

Israel's Foreign Minister, Israel Katz, strongly criticised Mr. Khan's actions, describing them as a severe attack on the victims of the October 7 attacks and a disgraceful act that will be remembered for years to come.

However, several of Israel's Western allies refrained from directly criticising the ICC in their statements.

A statement released Monday states that the French foreign ministry expressed its support for the court's efforts to combat impunity in all situations.

In a statement, the foreign ministry of Germany expressed its respect for the independence and procedures of the ICC.

Nevertheless, Berlin expressed disapproval of the decision to release the charges against Israeli and Hamas leaders at the same time, arguing that it gave the false impression of equality between the two parties.

Hamas has recently put forward its demand, calling for the cancellation of all arrest warrants issued against leaders of the Palestinian resistance.

Hamas has issued a strong condemnation of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court's efforts to draw equivalence between the victim and the perpetrator," stated the group.

The group expressed dissatisfaction with the timing of the warrant applications against Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant, stating that they were submitted "seven months late." They also noted that the warrants did not include other Israeli political and military leaders.

According to Mr. Khan, the Hamas leaders have been accused of a range of serious crimes, including extermination, murder, hostage taking, rape and sexual violence, and torture.