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NEWS FLASH

ICC issues arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas leader

Judges at the International Criminal Court have issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Reuters
By Reuters
21 Nov
Reuters-Middle-East-Update29/10 Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meets Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani in Jerusalem on 21 October 2024. (Photo: EPA-EFE / Allessandro di Meo)

The move comes after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced on 20 May 2024 that he was seeking arrest warrants for alleged crimes connected to the 7 October 2023 attacks on Israel by Hamas and the Israeli military response in Gaza.

The ICC said Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction was not required.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference, Kirya military base in Tel Aviv, Israel. 28 October 2023. (Photo: Abir Sultan/Pool via Reuters/File Photo)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant during a press conference at Kirya military base in Tel Aviv on 28 October 2023. (Photo: Abir Sultan / Pool via Reuters / File Photo)

Read more: Israel-Palestine War

Read more: Middle East crisis

Israel has rejected the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza. Israel has said it killed Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in an air strike, but Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied this. Reuters/DM

(Reporting by Toby Sterling and Charlotte Van Campenhout; Writing by Stephanie van den Berg, Makini BriceEditing by Peter Graff).

Comments

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Jean Racine 21 November 2024 03:24 PM

Waiting for the usual suspects to delude us with how Iran has bought the ICC.

Piet 22 November 2024 09:29 AM

Why Jean! We're all sitting at your feet with eager little faces waiting for your own lecture on how the world needs to be put to rights, and how everything can be solved through the simple realisation that the world is made up of oppressors (the evil West) and the oppressed (the noble rest).

John P 21 November 2024 04:25 PM

and the cries of antisemitism will follow

JP K 21 November 2024 08:06 PM

Entirely predictable. Very serious debates no doubt will be had on the topic.

JP K 21 November 2024 08:12 PM

The rest will just be quiet. It takes quite a bit of cognative dissonance to believe Israel is a democracy fighting evil and on the other engage with evidence of, e.g., using starvation as a weapon of war.

JP K 21 November 2024 08:14 PM

Note that the US has consistently defended Israel. It is impossible to dismiss the accusations Israel faces as baseless. There is most certainly a case. I'm curious to see how governments and populations that previously supported Israel reacts to this.

d***y@g***.com 22 November 2024 12:41 AM

Crying antisemitism all the time, it has now lost its meaning, just like holocaust denial becoming main stream. Holocaust scholars now finding , have to justify the actions of Israeli Jews prior to any talk to non Jews.

laurantsystems 22 November 2024 07:36 AM

I'm not Jewish, but right after 7 October 2023 and before Israel retaliated, the demonstrations started, calling for the annihilation of Israel. There is no other explanation for this, except antisemitism. You may not like the truth or the facts, but your dislike doesn't make it less true.

John P 22 November 2024 08:09 AM

The difference is that I have looked at most of the facts starting well before Oct 7. Read some history starting from the turn of the previous century and you may end up with a better understanding of what is really going on. If you read nothing else at least search "Nakba" on Wikipedia.

laurantsystems 22 November 2024 08:58 AM

No, the facts are that a) there has always been a Jewish population in Israel, b) that the UN granted Israel statehood. This is not in dispute, and if you are denying Israel's right to exist, the only nation that protects Jews from their enemies, you are an anti-Semite. The end.

JP K 22 November 2024 10:03 AM

To paraphrase Albanese: No state has a right to exist. There is not such right in law. A people has a right to exist. Does Israel exist? Yes. Does Israel have the right to commit genocide? No. This is This is what the case is about - prosecuting crimes against humanity.

m***g@g***.com 22 November 2024 10:27 AM

,

John P 22 November 2024 10:33 AM

a) a minority Jewish population. b) 33 countries voted for the motion to grant Israel statehood none of them from the 8 middle eastern nations. At the time only 58 nations were members today there are 193.

John P 22 November 2024 01:52 PM

33 countries voted for the motion to grant Israel statehood none of them from the 8 middle eastern nations. At the time only 58 nations were members today there are 193.

JP K 22 November 2024 08:37 AM

Sure. There has no doubt been antisemitism. But what demonstrations are you referring to? Anyway, that does not mean that that all criticism of Israel's actions is not valid. The point here is that the ICC will be discredited by leveling the accusation that it is antisemitism.

N***i@g***.com 22 November 2024 10:01 AM

Facts are, for most of its brief history, Israel has been at odds with its Arab neighbours and never really supported peaceful resolution of the Palestinian question, including the two states solution. October 7 aside, for a moment

Lian 21 November 2024 06:32 PM

And the warrant for Putin ?

John P 21 November 2024 07:52 PM

On 17 March 2023, following an investigation of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Vladimir Putin, the president of Russia ...Wikipedia

Lian 21 November 2024 08:35 PM

I missed that one. Will it be executed ? Does the ICC have jurisdiction over non-members ?

d***y@g***.com 21 November 2024 09:47 PM

I think this is end of ICC , it was designed to punish the weak, never to touch the powerful . The current evidence coming out of Gaza even though ignored by MSM is in the public domain , gave the judges nowhere to hide in this case. US will not act on this warrant.

N***i@g***.com 22 November 2024 08:08 AM

For me, even at a symbolic gesture level, this warrant is a great stride. We know America will do everything to discredit this by using Israeli hostages in Gaza. Bt the only legitimacy America would have is to calli for the release of all PoW and immediate ceasefire.

Skinyela 22 November 2024 10:18 AM

ICC charges and prosecute individuals, not states, so it has jurisdiction on everyone... Even citizens of countries who are not ICC members. The only trick is that non-members do not have a legal obligation to arrest and handover the people wanted by the ICC.

d***y@g***.com 24 November 2024 07:29 PM

This warrant also means all actions by IDF and settlers in the West Bank can also be brought on charges . The impunity that Israel relied on for 75 years has been broken. Like nazi being brought to justice today. This will hang over all Israeli Jews, will always need US protection.

t***u@y***.com 21 November 2024 07:00 PM

My day feels better now.

N***i@g***.com 21 November 2024 10:30 PM

While the White House rejected the ICC decision, the EU’s foreign policy chief said it should be respected and implemented. Wow, Netanyahu is no better than Ibrahim Al-Masri. My day feels better too

laurantsystems 22 November 2024 07:38 AM

Bollocks and rubbish. This absurd warrant is like issuing a warrant for the arrest of a woman who fought back against her attacker while being raped. And the latter is precisely what the "religion of peace's" [sic] fanatics did on October 7, 2023. Victim-blaming at its very worst.

John P 22 November 2024 08:12 AM

More like a warrant for the arrest of a policeman involved in beating a prisoner to death.

N***i@g***.com 22 November 2024 08:55 AM

Very succinct. Much better than my response, still being "moderated"

laurantsystems 22 November 2024 10:31 AM

Nope, sorry, the only prisoners here are the Israeli hostages. Gaza, an independent country with an elected regime, chose to attack its neighbour. DO try to stick to the facts and concentrate harder next time, please.

John P 22 November 2024 11:27 AM

Laura there is no need to get rude in your comment below! If you want to mention prisoners what about the thousands detained without trial in Israel?

N***i@g***.com 22 November 2024 08:30 AM

You maybe better placed to draw parallels to woman response to an attach. However, the scale of the immediate suffering caused by this war is staggering. From the 1,200 Israelis killed, needlessly, by Hamas to the 45,000 killed by Israel and breaking of all international laws. Come on..

d***y@g***.com 24 November 2024 07:36 PM

Forgetting that before Oct 7 the 7000 men, woman and children from the age of 12 held in Israeli jails without charge ,(this excludes the number of Palestinian born in Israel,west Bank and gaza civilians detained since Oct 7) no evidence required. Just the word of IDF.

JP K 22 November 2024 08:40 AM

Are you aware that Israel is a belligerent occupier and further that occupation is an act of aggression and the right to defense does not apply? Have you read any reports on Israel committing genocide, being an apartheid state, being an occupier? On what basis do you dismiss the ICC warrant?

m***g@g***.com 22 November 2024 04:53 PM

Your posts show your knowledge on the issues at hand would probably fill the back of a postage stamp in large childlike writing. You don't even get the basic facts right. I believe the independent judges at the ICC, who are qualified lawyers who specialise in international law know more than you.

d***y@g***.com 21 November 2024 07:12 PM

Seems the US . UK .German and Zionist lobby did not prevail in detering the Judges, the first time a western ally charged.

JP K 21 November 2024 08:03 PM

You can bet your bottom dollar they made every effort. But it's by no means over. I expect that it's a sham trial. Can anyone imagine the US, Germany, the UK et al. formally being complicit in genocide which is what a guilty verdict would imply?

Kanu 21 November 2024 08:05 PM

Not that they did not try to ! Why did it take so long ? In Putin's case they did it within a few months. A few 'western' states have woken up recently, and already recognise the state of Palestine. Why should any 'western' ally or any other state be free of observing international law ?

John P 21 November 2024 07:59 PM

What is going on DM? Multiple log-ins and refreshes required to activate being able to make comments or reply.

Mike Lawrie 21 November 2024 08:52 PM

Indeed, there is some serious technical incompetence somewhere near or in DM. Web pages don't always load -- "too many redirects" --, accusations of "duplicate posting", others.

d***y@g***.com 21 November 2024 09:24 PM

problem i noticed twice since sunday...denied a post. and took option to moderate more comments , i denied the same post 35 times...it kept on appearing till my screen started flickering . todays comments is " Hear Hear " approved , but i stopped at 5 times. Seems bots are active in chat

JP K 21 November 2024 07:59 PM

It is impossible to ignore the mountain of evidence against BB and Gallant. So the ICC warrant application had to succeed unless the US et al wanted to break international law. At the same time, they cannot be found guilty because so many would then be complicit and they will not allow that.

markgcfriedman 22 November 2024 05:38 AM

Evidence? Assume you've seen LFI's documented evidence disproving the canards as well as the evidence submitted which the ICC ignored. This will run and run

JP K 22 November 2024 07:15 AM

Yes. Evidence from credible sources like the UN agencies, scholars, major human rights organisations - even US government agencies. You incorrectly assume I would rely on a clearly pro-Israel group when there are plenty of non-partisan credible sources available. Have you read a single UN report?

d***y@g***.com 24 November 2024 07:40 PM

Also IDF own records and Israeli soldiers own videos .seems they still think they have impunity . filming their crimes and posting on social media, and still uploading even this weekend.

virginia crawford 22 November 2024 07:25 AM

The evidence is before our eyes!

d***y@g***.com 21 November 2024 09:38 PM

Can this warrant be used as a foundation to charge SA jews serving or served in IDF for this period in Gaza under SA law ?

virginia crawford 22 November 2024 07:27 AM

I certainly hope so. Also an end to visa free travel to SA: all IDF should be denied entry. Psychopaths laughing and filming while they do atrocious things? No thank you.

Michael Thomlinson 22 November 2024 11:08 AM

Beheadings, rape, killing of children and burning people alive in their own homes. Does that describe what IDF soldiers have done? Or is that what Hamas fighters did on Oct 7?

N***i@g***.com 21 November 2024 10:18 PM

I remember the song "remake the world" by a Jamaican singer Jimmy Cliff. Things are really changing. For a while such a warrant was only reserved for Africans and maybe one European despot hell-bent on showing America middle finger. Well done

markgcfriedman 22 November 2024 05:37 AM

Politically motivated by animus and Khan's visceral hatred for Israel coupled to his attempts to smokescreen his charges of sexual assault. He utterly ignored the legal process of complementarity and walked away from his planned visit to Israel to hear the counter factual. He has been captured.

JP K 22 November 2024 07:21 AM

The sexual assault charges surfaced after KK announced that he was seeking warrants of arrest. How about engaging with the facts of the case? Can you name a single major organisation that disputes that, e.g., Israel is using starvation as a weapon of war?

virginia crawford 22 November 2024 07:30 AM

Oh please - trumped up charges to discredit him. Do you really believe that bombing civilians is okay? The Haredi are not Zionists - are they anti- Semitic too?

Just 22 November 2024 06:01 AM

Don't expect the nations that are complicit in assisting Israel's genocide to apply BDS (Boycotts, Disinvestment and Sanctions) right away. One thing is sure, the so called 'rules based order' is no more.

z***b@g***.com 22 November 2024 07:16 AM

The stink of SA being paid to bring this case against Israel, too many questions of a bankrupt ANC suddenly not, it's obvious Iran and Hamas captured SA to get the case. But SA turns a blind eye to Putin's brutal aggression in Ukraine... SA's rogue government has no backbone and poor ethics.

JP K 22 November 2024 07:28 AM

SA brought the genocide case to the ICJ. This is the ICC. So your concerns aren't really relevant to this development. But since you raised it, do you support the charges or is it just that you don't like our government?

z***b@g***.com 24 November 2024 02:09 PM

I don't and do... clear enough?

z***b@g***.com 24 November 2024 02:12 PM

Perhaps that is a tad murky I don't support the charges, I do not like the SA government

virginia crawford 22 November 2024 07:34 AM

ANC spineless and corrupt yes. Iran paying us? The vast majority of South African support the Palestinians because they understand what apartheid means. Mind you, even the apartheid regime drew the line at bombing Soweto or building a wall around townships - and they were brutes.

Lawrence King 22 November 2024 08:23 AM

Wow, so many inaccuracies in this comment and ridiculous comparisons. It would help if people stuck to facts rather than broad emotional responses. Readers could seriously do a lot better.

JP K 22 November 2024 09:02 AM

The defense of Israel appears to be limited to: personal attacks, accusations of antisemitism, procedural issues, whataboutisms, Hamas. But maybe I'm wrong. Perhaps you would like to address the charges for which there is plenty of supporting evidence.

John P 22 November 2024 08:15 AM

Never let the facts get in the way of a good story

Lawrence King 22 November 2024 08:20 AM

Still laughing at the obvious hypocrisy ... no warrants for Bashar al-Assad, Vladimir Putin, Xi Jinping, Ali Khamenei, and whoever the latest Taliban despot is trampling on women's rights in Afghanistan. We should rather be crying for another captured and hypocritical institution. Hate abounds.

John P 22 November 2024 08:53 AM

The warrant for Putin was issued on 17/03/2023.

JP K 22 November 2024 08:58 AM

Do you disagree with the charges in the arrest warrant?

Skinyela 22 November 2024 09:49 AM

When was the warrant for Vladimir Putin withdrawn?

Bob 22 November 2024 11:16 AM

Karim Khan case is not an Israeli smear campaign when looking at facts. It was a full-on, repeated pattern of conduct that was carried out over a long period of time. The alleged victim confided in 2 colleagues expressing reluctance to press on as Kahn's friend would form part of investigation.

m***g@g***.com 22 November 2024 05:02 PM

Allegedly

Richard Blake 22 November 2024 02:33 PM

Trump is going to serve the ANC some strong medicine in less than 60 days, and uncle Joe won't be there to help.

John P 22 November 2024 03:08 PM

What has that got to do with this subject?

N***0@g***.com 22 November 2024 04:51 PM

Yeah it's gonna be interesting, and their fellow comrade Putin won't help them