On November 21, 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They are accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity during the ongoing genocide in Gaza, from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant intentionally deprived Gaza’s civilian population of essential items such as food, water, and medical supplies.
They are also accused of using starvation as a method of warfare and deliberately targeting medical facilities.
On Thursday, the ICC issued international arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of “committing war crimes and crimes against humanity” during the ongoing genocide in Gaza for the past 413 days.
The ICC stated that its Pre-Trial Chamber rejected Israel’s jurisdictional challenges and issued the arrest warrants. These arrest warrants mean that Netanyahu and Gallant are now internationally wanted suspects.
The two risk arrest if they travel to any of the 124 countries that are members of the ICC. However, enforcement is complicated by the fact that neither Israel nor the United States recognizes the court’s jurisdiction.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric stated that Secretary-General António Guterres expressed his respect for the independence of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
This comment came during a press conference on Thursday night, where Dujarric addressed the ICC’s arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
When asked about the possibility of Netanyahu being arrested if he attends the UN General Assembly meeting in September 2025, Dujarric responded, “Our security teams are responsible for our protection and the protection of the building, not for arresting anyone.”
Regarding how an arrest warrant might affect someone’s participation in UN meetings, Dujarric explained that this situation depends on the host country of the UN events.
ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan urged both member and non-member states to cooperate with the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, while many countries affirmed their respect for the ICC’s role and independence.
On May 20, Khan requested the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for their responsibility in “war crimes and crimes against humanity” committed by the Israeli army in Gaza since October 7, 2023. Khan reiterated this request in August, urging the court to expedite the issuance of the warrants.
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The Israeli Prime Ministers condemned the warrants, calling the ICC a “biased and discriminatory political body,” while Israeli President Isaac Herzog also criticized the decision, describing it as a “dark day for justice.”
The U.S. exercised its veto power in the UN Security Council to block a resolution calling for an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza, a move that did not have the approval of the Security Council.
As a non-member of the ICC, the U.S. is expected to respond strongly to the arrest warrants, but this reaction could undermine its international credibility and further erode trust in its claim to be “working for global justice.”
Interestingly, the U.S. welcomed the ICC’s arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin, yet condemned the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, highlighting a contradictory stance that has exposed inconsistencies in the Biden administration’s approach.
Colombian President Gustavo Petro expressed his approval of the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, calling it a “logical step.”
In a post on his account on the social media platform X, Petro stated, “This is the logical step that should be taken. Netanyahu is a perpetrator of genocide. The ICC says so, and this decision must be respected.”
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) welcomed the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
In a statement released on Thursday evening, the OIC emphasized that this significant step contributes to ending the impunity that the Israeli occupation has enjoyed for decades and said that it also restores confidence in international justice and its role in accountability and achieving justice for the victims.
The OIC highlighted that this decision represents a victory for international legitimacy and stressed the necessity for the international community, especially the states parties to the Rome Statute of the ICC, to respect and implement this decision.
The organization also called on the International Court of Justice to expedite its ruling on the Israeli occupation’s crime of genocide.
Additionally, the OIC renewed its call for the UN Security Council to fulfill its responsibilities and take the necessary measures to implement its relevant resolutions.
This includes imposing an immediate, comprehensive, and permanent halt to the military aggression and genocide committed by the Israeli occupation against the Palestinian people for approximately 14 months and ensuring adequate and sustainable humanitarian aid reaches all parts of Gaza.
Israel has now killed at least 43,985 Palestinians, including more than 17.492 children and 11.979 women, and injured 104,092 others, in an incomplete toll, as thousands of victims are still under the rubble and on the roads, with ambulance and rescue crews unable to reach them, in the Gaza Strip.
In the West Bank, Israeli soldiers and paramilitary colonizers have now killed 794 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 167 children, and injured more than 6,450, in the occupied West Bank, since October 7, 2023.
