The United States has “fundamentally rejected” the International Criminal Court‘s decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
A National Security Council spokesperson stated, “We remain deeply concerned by the Prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision. The United States has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter.”
The ICC also issued arrest warrant for Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif.
The incoming national security advisor under the Trump administration after winning the recently concluded election, Mike Waltz, expressed support for Israel and indicated there would be a “strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January.”
“The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the US government. Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists,” Waltz added.
Today, the ICC court in The Hague announced that the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were issued “for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8 2023 until at least May 20 2024.
Meanwhile, ICC issued a warrant of arrest for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, commonly known as ‘Deif’, for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed on the territory of the State of Israel and the State of Palestine from at least 7 October 2023.
EU says arrest for all three ‘binding’
The European Union said that the ICC decision to arrest all the three- Netanyahu, Gallant and Deif- were “binding” and should be implemented.
“It is not a political decision. It is a decision of a court, of a court of justice, of an international court of justice. And the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented,” The EU’s foreign policy chief Joseph Borrell said during a visit to the Jordanian capital Amman.
“This decision is a binding decision and all states, all state parties of the court, which include all members of the European Union, are binding to implement this court decision,” he said after a joint news conference with Jordanian foreign minister Ayman Safadi.
Important step towards justice: Hamas
Hamas welcomed the warrants against the Israelis, a senior official told Reuters it was a first step towards justice.
“(It’s) an important step towards justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world,” Hamas political bureau member Bassem Naim said.
‘ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli officials sign of hope,’ says Palestinian authority
The Palestinian authority welcomed the ICC’s arrest warrants and said, “The ICC’s decision represents hope and confidence in international law and its institutions.”
It said in a statement published by official Palestinian news agency Wafa, and urged ICC members to enforce “a policy of severing contact and meetings with internationally wanted individuals, Netanyahu and (Yoav) Gallant”.
UK respects ICC’s decision, says ‘remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire’
Britain respects the ICC, Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson said on Thursday, after it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his ex-defence chief and a Hamas leader.
“We respect the independence of the International Criminal Court, which is the primary international institution for investigating and prosecuting the most serious crimes of international concern,” the spokesperson told reporters.
“There is no moral equivalence between Israel, a democracy, and Hamas and Lebanese Hezbollah, which are terrorist organisations. We remain focused on pushing for an immediate ceasefire to bring an end to the devastating violence in Gaza.”
‘Positive decision’: Turkey
The ICC’s decision “is a belated but positive decision to stop the bloodshed and put an end to the genocide in Palestine,” Turkish Justice minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X.
“The barbaric Israeli authorities, who target our innocent Palestinian brothers and sisters… must be brought to justice as soon as possible for their war crimes and crimes against humanity.”
“Countries and international mechanisms that believe in democracy and human rights must take action immediately and do what is necessary to ensure that baby killers receive the punishment they deserve. As Turkey, under the leadership of our President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, we will continue to keep the injustices of the occupying Israel, its genocide, and its crimes against humanity on the agenda, and we will stand by our Palestinian brothers in their just cause. We will continue our struggle in every field with determination so that the Palestinian people can live freely and with dignity in their own country,” he added.
Israeli PM Netanyahu ‘now officially a wanted man’: Amnesty chief
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu is “now officially a wanted man,” Amnesty International said.
“Prime Minister Netanyahu is now officially a wanted man,” Amnesty Secretary General Agnes Callamard said in a statement.
“We urge all ICC member states, and non-states parties including the United States and other allies of Israel, to demonstrate their respect for the court’s decision…by arresting and handing over those wanted by the ICC,” Callamard added.
“ICC member states and the whole international community must stop at nothing until these individuals are brought to trial before the ICC’s independent and impartial judges.”
Israeli PM accuses ICC of ‘anti-Semitism’
Netanyahu accused the ICC of anti-Semitism after it issued arrest warrants against him and his former defence minister.
“The anti-Semitic decision of the International Criminal Court is comparable to a modern-day Dreyfus trial — and it will end in the same way,” Netanyahu stated, drawing parallels to the historic case where French Jewish army captain Alfred Dreyfus faced wrongful treason charges.
Regarding Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza, which began following Hamas’s attacks on October 7, 2023, Netanyahu defended it as righteous and dismissed the ICC’s actions as baseless accusations against his nation.
In his response, he questioned ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan’s integrity, suggesting the warrants were issued to deflect attention from harassment allegations, which Khan has contested.
Netanyahu further criticised the judges, claiming their decisions stemmed from prejudice against Israel, and affirmed that these warrants would not deter Israel from protecting its population.
Gallant says ICC’s arrest warrant set ‘dangerous precedent’
Former defence minister of Israel Yoav Gallant said the warrant issued for his arrest as well as those of Netanyahu and Deif set a “dangerous precedent”.
“The decision of the court in The Hague will be remembered forever — it places the State of Israel and the murderous leaders of Hamas in the same row and thus legitimises the murder of babies, the rape of women and the abduction of the elderly from their beds,” he wrote on X.
“The decision sets a dangerous precedent against the right to self-defence and ethical warfare and encourages murderous terrorism.”
(With inputs from agencies)