The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has communicated a more precise position of France regarding the arrest warrant issued against the Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a short text published this Wednesday, November 27, the Quai d'Orsay announces that Benjamin Netanyahu and the “other ministers concerned” by arrest warrants could benefit from a “immunity”. The French Ministry of Foreign Affairs invokes the obligations provided for in international law linked to “immunities of States not party to the ICC”which is the case for Israel.
“War crimes” and “crimes against humanity”
“France will respect its international obligations, it being understood that the Rome Statute requires full cooperation with the International Criminal Court (ICC) and also provides that a State cannot be required to act in a manner inconsistent with its obligations in under international law »announces the Quai d’Orsay.
The International Criminal Court decided to issue, Thursday, November 21, arrest warrants against Benyamin Netanyahu, as well as against his former Minister of Defense, Yoav Gallant, for “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity perpetrated in the Gaza Strip, from October 8, 2023 until at least May 20, 2024,” the day the prosecution filed the arrest warrant requests.
The room “reasonable grounds to believe” that the head of the Israeli government and the man who until recently was its Minister of Defense “each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for having committed the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts”.
Nothing to prevent French diplomacy from repeating “the historic friendship that links France and Israel, two democracies committed to the rule of law and respect for professional and independent justice”. In addition, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs announces that France “Intends to continue working closely with Prime Minister Netanyahu and other Israeli authorities to achieve peace and security for all in the Middle East”.
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