Shame served. Karim Khan, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), called for the issuance of arrest warrants against prominent Israeli political and military figures and members of the Hamas group. The Israelis include the prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the Minister of Defense Yoav Gallantaccused of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, causing suffering or serious injury, cruel treatment, intentional killing, attacks on civilians, extermination and persecution.
The accusations against Netanyahu
These charges arise from military operations in the Gaza Strip, the theater of a bitter conflict for a long time. The prosecutor recognizes Israel's right “like any state to defend itself”, but this right is not absolved by “international humanitarian law”. And in fact the ICC disputes “thetotal siege imposed on Gaza for long periods and subsequently of arbitrary limits on the entry of materials” which would have caused a “systematic deprivation of the means for survival”.
“My office – reads Khan's statement – maintains that i war crimes reported in these appeals were committed in the context of an international armed conflict between Israel and Palestine and a non-international armed conflict between Israel And Hamas (along with other Palestinian armed groups) taking place in parallel. We believe that the alleged crimes against humanity were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population as part of state policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue today.”
The accusations against Hamas
The decision at the ICC
What happens now? The ICC process involves a panel of judges evaluate the evidence presented and decide whether to proceed with arrest warrants, deny the request, or request further details. This procedure, despite being based on principles of legality and justice, takes place in a highly politicized context full of international tensions.
The reactions in Israel were immediate and strong. Prominent figures such as Benny Gantzformer defense minister, and the president Isaac Herzog They condemned the actions of the ICC, accusing it of politicization and of not understanding the dynamics of the conflict self-defense measures adopted by Israel. Netanyahu labeled the initiative “scandalous”, reiterating the Israeli government's adamant position.
Meanwhile, international negotiations continue to find a solution to the war in Palestine. The States Unitedthrough the National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, highlighted the importance of linking Israel's military actions to a political strategy “that can ensure the lasting defeat of Hamas, the release of all hostages and a better future for Gaza.” He essentially reiterated the position of Biden and the US administration on the now imminent attack on Rafah. Benny Gantz, for his part, reiterated that “Israel is committed to continuing the fighting in Rafah and elsewhere in Gaza until the threat from Hamas is eliminated and there is the return of the hostages“. The war continues.