Netanyahu says Israel to appeal against ICC arrest warrants over Gaza war

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu says Israel urged the tribunal to suspend the warrants against him and erstwhile Defence Minister Yoav Gallant pending the result of the appeal.

Israel has told the International Criminal Court that it volition entreaty against apprehension warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and erstwhile Defence Minister Yoav Gallant implicit their actions successful the warfare connected Gaza, Netanyahu’s bureau said, arsenic France said it believes the Israeli officials person “immunity” from the warrants.

Netanyahu’s bureau said connected Wednesday that Israel besides urged the ICC to suspend the warrants against him and Gallant for alleged “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” pending the appeal.

The tribunal said past week determination were tenable grounds to judge the officials were liable for utilizing “starvation arsenic a method of warfare” successful Gaza by restricting supplies of humanitarian assistance to the besieged Palestinian territory.

“The State of Israel denies the authorization of the International Criminal Court (ICC) successful The Hague and the legitimacy of the apprehension warrants,” a connection from Netanyahu’s bureau read.

“Israel contiguous submitted a announcement to the International Criminal Court of its volition to entreaty to the court, on with a request to hold the execution of the apprehension warrants,” it added.

The determination has travel aft France’s Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs said it believed the officials payment from immunity due to the fact that Israel is not a subordinate of the court.

France’s view, issued a time aft the announcement of a ceasefire betwixt Israel and Lebanese equipped radical Hezbollah brokered by the US and France, was criticised by rights groups.

Other countries, including Italy, person besides questioned the legality of the mandate.

France’s stance

Paris has taken astir a week to travel up with a wide position, aft the tribunal successful The Hague issued apprehension warrants connected November 21 for the Israeli officials and a person of the Palestinian equipped radical Hamas.

After initially saying it would adhere to the ICC statutes, France’s Foreign Ministry fine-tuned that successful a 2nd connection connected November 22 amid concerns that Israel could scupper efforts for a ceasefire successful Lebanon, saying it noted that the court’s determination simply formalised an accusation.

On Wednesday, the ministry pointed retired that the Rome Statute that established the ICC provided that a state cannot beryllium required to enactment successful a mode incompatible with its obligations “with respect to the immunities of States not enactment to the ICC”.

“Such immunities use to Prime Minister Netanyahu and different applicable ministers and volition person to beryllium taken into information should the ICC petition their apprehension and surrender.”

It said France intended to proceed to enactment intimately with Netanyahu and different Israeli authorities “to execute bid and information for each successful the Middle East”.

‘Deeply problematic’

Rights groups suggested France had tempered its effect to support a moving narration with Netanyahu and his government.

“Some shocking nonsense from France here. No 1 gets immunity from an ICC apprehension warrant due to the fact that they’re successful bureau – not Netanyahu, not Putin, nary one,” Andrew Stroehlein, European media manager astatine Human Rights Watch wrote connected X.

Rights radical Amnesty International said France’s presumption was “deeply problematic”.

“Rather than inferring that ICC indictees whitethorn bask immunity, France should expressly corroborate its acceptance of the unequivocal ineligible work nether the Rome Statute to transportation retired apprehension warrants.”

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani said connected Tuesday that Rome had galore doubts astir the legality of the ICC mandates and clarity was needed connected whether precocious authorities officials had immunity from the arrest.

“Netanyahu would ne'er spell to a state wherever helium tin beryllium arrested … The apprehension of Netanyahu is unfeasible, astatine slightest arsenic agelong arsenic helium is premier minister,” helium said.

France has been progressive successful efforts to extremity warring successful the Middle East and, with the United States, helped broker the Israel-Hezbollah ceasefire that came into effect connected Wednesday.

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Al Jazeera and quality agencies