A senior politician in Brussels has reiterated that member nations of the European Union are obliged to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by virtue of an arrest warrant set to be issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Josep Borrell, the EU high representative for foreign affairs and security policy, made this remark on May 21. In a statement issued on that day, the Spanish politician emphasized that compliance with the arrest warrant will be legally mandatory for all EU member states.
Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, both named in the arrest warrant, would be apprehended if they went to any country in Europe. Aside from the Israeli officials, three Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh – are also included in the warrant.
"I take note of the decision of the ICC [chief] prosecutor to apply for warrants of arrest before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC," Borrell posted on X. "The mandate of the ICC, as an independent international institution, is to prosecute the most serious crimes under international law. All states that have ratified the ICC statutes are bound to execute [its] decisions." (Related: ICC moves forward in seeking arrests of Netanyahu, Hamas leaders.)
Borrell also mentioned that the EU had "noted" the ICC's ruling. The entire European continent, save for Turkey and Ukraine, ratified the Rome Statute that gave birth to the ICC. Thus, countries there are bound by the statute and must capture those deemed wanted by the world court, news outlet Great Game India noted.
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"The ICC can prosecute crimes against humanity, which are serious violations committed as part of a large-scale attack against any civilian population. The 15 forms of crimes against humanity listed in the Rome Statute includes offenses such as murder, rape, imprisonment, enforced disappearances, enslavement – particularly of women and children, sexual slavery, torture, apartheid and deportation."
Great Game India also mentioned that the ICC's arrest warrant "might affect the destinations that Israeli leaders visit across the globe. Any countries the Israeli officials named in the warrant plan to visit that are also bound by the Rome Statute will most likely refrain from apprehending them due to diplomatic pressure.
ICC chief: Leaders of both Israel and Hamas "bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity"
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who applied for the arrest warrants, issued a statement regarding his move. According to him, both leaders of Hamas and Israel "bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from at least Oct. 7, 2023."
"The war crimes alleged in these applications were committed in the context of an international armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, and a non-international armed conflict between Israel and Hamas running in parallel. We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Israel by Hamas and other armed groups pursuant to organizational policies. Some of these crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day," Khan wrote in his statement.
U.S. President Joe Biden earlier dubbed the ICC's efforts to secure arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant "outrageous." Washington remains Tel Aviv's strongest ally, amid many nations in the world rebuking Israel for its atrocities in the Gaza Strip.
"Let me be clear: Whatever this [chief] prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas," Biden said in a statement. "It's clear Israel wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection. What's happening is not genocide."
But U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), himself a Jew, expressed support toward the ICC's decision in a statement. "The ICC [chief] prosecutor is right to take these actions," he said. "[It is] imperative that the global community uphold international law."
Head over to IsraelCollapse.com for more stories about the ongoing conflict in Israel.
Watch this MSNBC report about U.S. President Joe Biden "totally rejecting" the ICC's application for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
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