Israel believes the International Criminal Court (ICC) is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli and Hamas officials on charges related to the war between Israel and Hamas, reports the New York Times.
The outlet cited five Israeli and foreign officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, without revealing the information that led them to this conclusion.
Israeli officials say Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be named in the arrest warrant, although it is unclear what exactly he would be charged with. Two of the five officials say that some of the charges against them could be linked to the harsh measures taken by the army in Gaza and the alleged prevention of the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. Israel is not a member of the court, based in The Hague, and does not recognize its jurisdiction, but the Palestinian territories were admitted as a member state in 2015. Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, said in October that the Court had jurisdiction to try any potential war crimes committed by Hamas terrorists in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip.
Mr. Khan also said his team was investigating all crimes allegedly committed in Gaza and that those found to have broken the law would be held accountable. On Friday, Netanyahu said any ICC decision would not affect Israel’s actions but would set a dangerous precedent.
“Under my leadership, Israel will never accept that the International Criminal Court in The Hague attempts to undermine its fundamental right to defend itself,” Netanyahu said in a statement posted on Telegram. The ICC is a treaty-based criminal court that focuses on individual criminal responsibility for war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.
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