Some countries have said they will respect the ICC’s decision to issue the arrest warrants, while others, such as ally the US, have slammed the decision
Thursday’s decision has been anticipated since the ICC prosecutor said he would seek arrest warrants since May [Getty/file photo]
The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza.
The move had been anticipated for months after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said in May he would seek warrants for the Israeli officials.
Now, the 124 national members of the ICC are obliged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant on their territory.
More than 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the war erupted there last year. Israel imposed a siege on the enclave very early on in the conflict, which has led to catastrophic results including famine and patients not being able to receive medical treatment.
Here’s how some countries and non-state actors have responded to the ICC issuing arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
Hamas
The Palestinian group called on the ICC “to expand the scope of accountability to all criminal occupation leaders.”
The group’s senior official, Basem Naim, said: “This is an important step on the path to justice and bringing justice to the victims, but it remains a limited and spiritual step if it is not backed practically by all countries.”
An arrest warrant was also issued for Hamas commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, aka Mohammed Deif, who Israel claimed it killed in an airstrike in Gaza’s city of Khan Younis earlier this year.
Hamas has denied this and says he is still alive.
United States: Fundamentally rejects decisionÂ
The United States, Israel’s top ally, said it “fundamentally rejects” the decision by the ICC, according to a White House statement on Thursday.
“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,” a National Security Council spokesperson said.
Republican US Senator Lindsey Graham, a close ally of President-elect Donald Trump, said: “The Court is a dangerous joke. It is now time for the US Senate to act and sanction this irresponsible body.”
The US, Israel’s biggest arms supplier, is not a signatory of the ICC, meaning Netanyahu and Gallant would not be arrested if they travelled there.
United Kingdom: Respects decision, focused on pushing Gaza ceasefireÂ
Britain said it would respect the independence of the ICC, according to comments by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s spokesperson.
“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 and 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.”
Europe: Decision must be respected
EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said the ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant are not political and the court decision should be respected and implemented.
France’s foreign ministry spokesperson said the French reaction to the warrants would be “in line with ICC statutes”.
Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris said the court’s arrest warrants were a significant and serious step, saying: “The decision … is an extremely significant step. These charges could not be more serious.”
Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said: “We support the ICC, while always remembering that the court must play a legal role and not a political role. We will evaluate together with our allies what to do and how to interpret this decision.”
Netherlands Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp was cited by Dutch news agency ANP as saying the country was prepared to act on the arrest warrant against Netanyahu if needed.
Norway’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said: “It is important that the ICC carries out its mandate in a judicious manner. I have confidence that the court will proceed with the case based on the highest fair trial standards.”
Sweden’s Foreign Minister Maria Malmer Stenergard said her country “and the EU support the important work of the court and safeguard its independence and integrity.”
Argentina: In disagreement
Argentina’s right-wing President Javier Milei wrote on X that his country was in “deep disagreement” with the decision.
Milei is a close ally of Israel, which he visited in February this year when he vowed to move his country’s embassy to Jerusalem. He had compared Hamas’ attack in southern Israel to the Holocaust.
Jordan: Justice for Palestinians
Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the ICC rulings should be respected and implemented, adding that “Palestinians deserve justice.”
Ties between Israel and Jordan have seriously deteriorated since the start of the war. The kingdom has repeatedly called on Israel to immediately end its offensive in Gaza.
The two countries have shared diplomatic relations since 1994.
Jordan has warned against any attempts by Israel to displace the Palestinians from the occupied West Bank, which borders the kingdom to the west.
Turkey: ‘Positive decision’
Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said on X that the ICC’s decision was “a belated but positive decision to stop the bloodshed and put an end to the genocide in Palestine”.
“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.”
Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan has repeatedly condemned Israel’s war in Gaza as a “genocide,” and likened Netanyahu to Hitler. The two countries still share ties.
Rights groups: A breakthrough
“The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” said HRW.
“These warrants should finally push the international community to address atrocities and secure justice for all victims in Palestine and Israel,” it added.
Amnesty International Secretary General Agnes Callamard said, “Prime Minister Netanyahu is now officially a wanted man.”
“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.”
