The first statement from Netanyahu, who has a warrant issued against him: We will not back down until we achieve all our goals.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office made a statement regarding the International Criminal Court's arrest warrant for Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant. The statement included the phrases, "We will not bow to pressures and will not take a step back until we achieve all our goals."

ARREST WARRANT FOR NETANYAHU AND GALLANT

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza. The first statement from Israel regarding the decision has been released.

"WE WILL NOT TAKE A STEP BACK"

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office claimed that the ICC's decision is anti-Semitic. The Israeli side stated that they reject the court's "absurd and false" decisions, declaring, "We will not bow to pressures and will not take a step back until we achieve all our goals."

In a statement from the ICC, it was announced that an arrest warrant had been issued for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.

The court also ruled that Israel has jurisdiction over crimes committed in Palestinian territories by rejecting Israel's objections to the ICC's jurisdiction.

The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber unanimously rejected two objections presented by Israel regarding its jurisdiction on September 26, 2024.

- War crimes and crimes against humanity

The court found reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.

The decision stated that both suspects intentionally obstructed the delivery of vital supplies such as food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity to the civilian population in Gaza.

- Humanitarian aid was obstructed

The court noted that even in cases where Israel allowed humanitarian aid, it was a result of pressure from the international community or demands from the United States, and that the aid never reached a level to meet the needs of the people of Gaza.

The decision emphasized that due to the obstruction of the entry of medical supplies and medicines, especially anesthetics and devices, doctors had to operate on the injured and children without anesthesia materials.

- Civilian deaths

The ICC determined that the lack of food, water, electricity, and fuel created conditions for the destruction of a portion of the civilian population in Gaza, leading to deaths from malnutrition and dehydration, including among children.

The decision also stated that Netanyahu and Gallant, as senior civilian officials, did not take necessary measures to prevent intentional attacks against the civilian population in Gaza.

- How will the arrest warrant be enforced?

The enforcement of the arrest warrants issued by the ICC is the responsibility of the states parties under Articles 86 and 87 of the Rome Statute.

According to Article 89 of the Statute, if Netanyahu and Gallant travel to any country that is a party to the ICC, the competent authorities of that country are required to arrest them and surrender them to the court in The Hague.

There have been difficulties in enforcing previous arrest warrants issued by the court. The arrest warrant for Sudan's former leader Omar al-Bashir was not enforced by South Africa and Jordan, while the warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin was not enforced by Mongolia.

However, the arrest warrants practically restrict the travel freedom of the suspects. Indeed, Putin avoided traveling to South Africa for the BRICS summit due to the arrest warrant against him.

It is stated that Netanyahu and Gallant will also have to avoid traveling to 124 countries that are members of the ICC, including Canada, Australia, the UK, France, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Sweden, most of which are from the European Union, Africa, and Asia.

Details are coming...