'Disgrace and Attack Against Israel': Benjamin Netanyahu On ICC Arrest Warrant
Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Prime Minister responded to the International Criminal Court”s (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan”s application of arrest warrant against him and Hamas leaders over the war crimes committed in Israel-Gaza war. On Monday, Khan said that his office had applied for arrest warrant of both Israeli and Hamas leaders for the alleged war crimes committed during the October 7th Hamas attack on Tel Aviv and Israel”s brutal and bloody war on Gaza following that.
He said that his office had “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli Prime Minister and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant bear “criminal responsibility” for “war crimes and crimes against humanity”. Khan has also applied for arrest warrants against three Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also known as Deif) – for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Responding to this, Netanyahu said that the ICC rule is a disgrace and an attack to Israel. He said he rejects the comparison with him and the “mass murderers of Hamas” with disgust. Netanyahu went on and asked “with what audacity do you compare Hamas that murdered, burned, butchered, decapitated, raped and kidnapped our brothers and sisters, and the [Israeli army] soldiers fighting a just war?”.
US President Joe Biden echoed Netanyahu”s comment. Biden said there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas, and added that it was clear that all Israel wanted to do was to do all, so can “ensure civilian protection”.
US Secretary of States, Antony Blinken also expressed condemnation over Khan”s move by saying that the US “fundamentally rejects” , and called it shameful. He said that the “ICC has no jurisdiction over this matter”.
Hamas, the resistance group of Gaza denounced the ICC prosecutor”s move. The group accused Khan of trying to “equate the victim with the executioner”. The group also added that it demanded about the cancellation of Khan”s application of arrest warrant. It further added that the arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant came “seven months too late”.
