World reacts to ICC prosecutor searching for Israel, Hamas arrest warrants | Israel Battle on Gaza Information

The chief prosecutor of the Worldwide Prison Court docket (ICC) has utilized for arrest warrants in opposition to prime Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged warfare crimes.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan mentioned on Monday that his workplace had utilized for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged crimes dedicated in the course of the Hamas-led October 7 assault on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent warfare on Gaza.

Khan introduced his workplace had “affordable grounds” to imagine that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant bear “felony duty” for “warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity”.

Khan additionally utilized for arrest warrants for 3 Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also referred to as Deif) – for warfare crimes and crimes in opposition to humanity.

Listed below are some reactions to the announcement:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu mentioned the ICC choice was a shame and an assault on Israel.

“I reject with disgust the comparability of the prosecutor in The Hague between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas,” Netanyahu mentioned.

“With what audacity do you examine Hamas that murdered, burned, butchered, decapitated, raped and kidnapped our brothers and sisters, and the [Israeli army] troopers combating a simply warfare?”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog

Herzog mentioned that “any try to attract parallels between these atrocious terrorists and a democratically elected authorities of Israel – working to fulfil its obligation to defend and defend its residents completely in adherence to the rules of worldwide regulation – is outrageous and can’t be accepted by anybody.”

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

Smotrich likened the announcement by the ICC prosecutor on searching for arrest warrants for prime Israeli officers to Nazi propaganda.

“We haven’t seen such a present of hypocrisy and hatred of Jews like that of the Hague Tribunal since Nazi propaganda,” Smotrich mentioned on X.

Hamas

Hamas denounced the ICC prosecutor’s choice to hunt arrest warrants in opposition to its leaders, accusing Karim Khan of attempting to “equate the sufferer with the executioner”.

The group mentioned it demanded the cancellation of the request, including that Khan’s software for arrest warrants in opposition to Netanyahu and Gallant had come “seven months too late”.

The Authorities Media Workplace in Gaza has welcomed the ICC’s choice to hunt arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, and in addition denounced the choice to use for warrants for Hamas leaders.

“We recognize the choice of the Prosecutor of the Worldwide Prison Court docket to challenge arrest warrants for 2 Zionist warfare criminals”, an announcement from the workplace begins.

“We see the issuance of those memorandums as a authorized step in the correct path, although they got here late,” it continues.

The workplace additionally mentioned it “deplores the truth that this step was accompanied by the issuance of comparable choices in opposition to a number of the leaders of our folks”, referring to requests for arrest warrants in opposition to a number of Hamas officers.

Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Palestine Liberation Group (PLO) Govt Committee

Youssef mentioned that the Palestinian folks have the correct to defend themselves.

“The ICC is required to challenge arrest warrants in opposition to Israeli officers who’re pursuing crimes of genocide within the Gaza Strip,” he mentioned.

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian Nationwide Initiative

Barghouti has mentioned that the ICC’s step affirms “that nobody is immune from worldwide regulation”.

“We take into account this to be step one in direction of condemning the crimes of genocide dedicated by the rulers and military of Israel in opposition to the Palestinian folks in Gaza and holding them accountable for committing these crimes in accordance with worldwide regulation and worldwide humanitarian regulation,” Barghouti mentioned in an announcement.

Belgian International Minister Hadja Lahbib

Lahbib mentioned that any crimes dedicated in Gaza have to be prosecuted on the highest degree.

“The request submitted by the Court docket’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, for arrest warrants in opposition to each Hamas and Israeli officers is a crucial step within the investigation of the scenario in Palestine,” she wrote on X.

“Belgium will proceed to help the important work of worldwide justice to make sure that these answerable for all crimes are held accountable,” the minister added.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer

Chancellor Nehammer mentioned that Austria absolutely respects the independence of the ICC however mentioned the transfer to hunt arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas officers on the identical time was “non-comprehensible”.

“The very fact nevertheless that the chief of the terrorist organisation Hamas whose declared aim is the extinction of the State of Israel is being talked about similtaneously the democratically elected representatives of that very State is non-comprehensible,” he mentioned.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala

“The ICC Chief Prosecutor’s proposal to challenge an arrest warrant for the representatives of a democratically elected authorities along with the leaders of an Islamist terrorist organisation is appalling and fully unacceptable,” mentioned Fiala.

“We should not neglect that it was Hamas that attacked Israel in October and killed, injured and kidnapped 1000’s of harmless folks. It was this fully unprovoked terrorist assault that led to the present warfare in Gaza and the struggling of civilians in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon.”

Spokesperson for British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

The UK prime minister’s spokesperson mentioned the ICC’s choice “isn’t useful in relation to reaching a pause within the combating, getting hostages out or getting humanitarian support in”.

“The UK, as with different nations, doesn’t but recognise Palestine as a state and Israel isn’t a state celebration to the Rome Statute”, which outlines the ICC’s areas of jurisdiction, the spokesperson added.

US President Joe Biden

In an announcement, Biden known as the applying for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant “outrageous”.

“Let me be clear: No matter this prosecutor may indicate, there is no such thing as a equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas,” he mentioned.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Blinken mentioned in an announcement that america rejects the ICC prosecutor’s software for arrest warrants for Israeli officers and Hamas.

He reiterated President Biden’s stance and mentioned: “We reject the prosecutor’s equivalence of Israel with Hamas.”

The UN particular rapporteur on the correct to housing

Rapporteur Balakrishnan Rajagopal welcomed Khan’s arrest warrant requests and mentioned he believed the fees in opposition to Israeli leaders have been “prone to stick”.

“On the request by the ICC Prosecutor for warrants: in opposition to Hamas, the fees of hostage taking and killing prone to stand however not others,” Rajagopal posted on X.

“In opposition to Israeli leaders, all prices prone to stick. And lacking prices embrace assaults in opposition to varied civilian objects together with properties!”

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

The worldwide rights organisation welcomed the ICC’s choice.

“Victims of great abuses in Israel and Palestine have confronted a wall of impunity for many years. This principled first step by the prosecutor opens the door to these answerable for the atrocities dedicated in latest months to reply for his or her actions at a good trial,” HRW mentioned.

“ICC member nations ought to stand able to resolutely defend the ICC’s independence as hostile stress is prone to improve whereas the ICC judges take into account [Prosecutor Karim] Khan’s request.”