ICC serves arrest warrants for Israeli PM, Netanyahu, Ex-Defence Chief, Gallant
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
An arrest warrant was also issued for Israeli former defence chief, Yoav Gallant, after a motion moved by the prosecutor of the ICC, Karim Khan, in May.
The motion for Netanyahu and Al-Masri to be arrested for alleged crimes is in connection to their alleged roles in the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas, as well as the Israeli military response in Gaza.
Israel opposed the court’s jurisdiction on the matter, but ICC has since dismissed their opposition.
Israel has also denied committing any war crimes.
The stance of the United States House of Representatives in June was to knock the ICC for trying to charge Israeli leaders with war crimes in Gaza.
“The idea that they would issue an arrest warrant for the prime minister of Israel, defense minister of Israel at the time where they’re fighting for their nation’s very existence against the evil of Hamas as a proxy of Iran is unconscionable to us.
“And as I said a couple of weeks ago, the ICC has to be punished for this action,” Speaker, Mike Johnson, said on Tuesday.
247 votes in favor and 155 opposed the proposal.
Fear among some Democrats is that the punishment might affect some of Washington’s allies.
