Some Arab States Welcome ICC Decision…

Arab countries welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to formally issue arrest warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The Iraqi government “values the courageous and just stance taken by the International Criminal Court in issuing arrest warrants against the head of the Zionist entity’s government and its former defense minister,” government spokesperson Basim al-Awadi said in a statement.

“This historic decision affirms that no matter how much oppression persists and tries to prevail, justice and truth will confront it and prevent it from dominating the world,” he added.

Al-Awadi described the decision as “a vindication for the blood of the innocent and martyrs who perished during the criminal (genocidal) war waged by the Zionist entity for more than a year against Gaza and Lebanon.”

He reiterated his country’s demand for an end to the Israeli onslaught and urged “all free nations to implement this decision by bringing the accused to the competent courts to hold them accountable for their blatant violations against humanity.”

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the ICC’s decision “must be respected and implemented without selectivity,” Anadolu.

“This is a pivotal moment that requires immediate and effective international action to halt the Israeli aggression on Gaza,” Safadi added during a press conference with European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell.

The court’s decision is “a message to the entire international community emphasizing the necessity of stopping the massacres against the Palestinian people,” he added.

Algeria also praised the ICC’s verdict, describing it as “an important step and a tangible advancement toward ending decades of impunity and the evasion of accountability and punishment by the Israeli occupation.”

It emphasized that “the Israeli occupation has perpetrated crimes against the Palestinian people and against all the countries and peoples of the region.”

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, killing more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.​​​​​​​

The ICC announced in a landmark move Thursday that it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I said it “issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest.”

“The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water and medicine and medical supplies as well as fuel and electricity,” the decision said.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.

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Barghouti: ICC Ruling is a Real Test For States Promoting Human Rights

The decision of the International Criminal Court Thursday, “puts many Western governments before their responsibilities, and obliges them to choose between shameful bias towards Israel and respecting international law and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, which they signed,” said Mustafa Barghouti, Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative Movement.

Barghouti pointed out that the ICC decision “is a real test for those governments that promote themselves as democratic, defend human rights, and stand against the oppressor.”

“What is required now from the International Court of Justice is to expedite the issuance of its ruling confirming Israel’s commission of the crime of genocide,” Dr Barghouti pointed out.

This decision “constitutes an important step towards achieving justice and fairness for the Palestinian people, and opens the way for holding accountable those who commit crimes against humanity,” he stressed.

This decision “will open the door wide to imposing sanctions and boycotts on Israel by all countries,” Barghouti believes.

He called on “Arab countries that have relations with Israel to take a firm stance by severing them, imposing sanctions, holding the occupation accountable for its crimes, and canceling all agreements and forms of normalization with it.”

The International Criminal Court issued two arrest warrants Thursday, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister of War Yoav Galant.

The court confirmed in a statement that Netanyahu and Galant were charged with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity.

It indicated that there are logical reasons to believe that Netanyahu and Galant supervised attacks against Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip.

It explained that “the crimes attributed to Netanyahu and Galant include the use of hunger as a weapon.”

The International Criminal Court confirmed that “Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction is not necessary,” as reported in Jordan24.

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ICC Issues Arrest Warrants Against Netanyahu, Gallant

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza. The court stated there are “reasonable grounds” to believe they committed war crimes, including directing attacks against civilians.

The ICC highlighted that the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include using starvation as a method of warfare, killings, persecution, and other inhumane acts amounting to crimes against humanity. The court emphasized that Israel’s acceptance of its jurisdiction is not required to proceed with the warrants and deemed their publication in the interest of victims.

What Does This Mean for Israel?

The warrants outline the suspects’ identities, descriptions of the alleged crimes, and the legal basis for the charges. They have been distributed to the 124 member states of the Rome Statute, which are obligated to cooperate with the ICC in enforcing the arrests. This development places significant travel restrictions on Netanyahu and Gallant, as visiting any of these countries risks detention.

The arrest warrants are anticipated to have far-reaching consequences for the occupation state. Analysts predict they could impact the country’s economy, trade, aviation, and tourism sectors, tarnishing its global image. Furthermore, the warrants might encourage several nations to sever diplomatic ties with Israel, intensifying international pressure to end the war in Gaza.

While the arrest warrants represent a major step in increasing international pressure on Israel to halt its actions in Gaza, domestic Israeli discourse remains focused on retrieving Israeli prisoners rather than ending the genocide. The United States, a key ally of Israel, has not exerted sufficient pressure to stop the genocide and continues to support Israel despite occasional nominal disagreements over its conduct according to the Quds News Network.

International public opinion and protests, particularly in the United States and Europe, are mounting against Israel’s actions. These movements echo the anti-apartheid protests that once led to South Africa’s global isolation. Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu has responded with sharp criticism of these demonstrations, indicating the growing concern within Israel about its shifting international standing.

Observers believe the ICC’s actions and the widespread protests signal the beginning of Israel’s international isolation, reminiscent of the measures that dismantled apartheid in South Africa. This isolation could further intensify if global pressure continues to build against Israel’s policies in Gaza.

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