Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the International Criminal Court's request for arrest warrants for himself and top Israeli and Hamas officials, accusing the prosecutor of bias against Israel.
Following the announcement by ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, Netanyahu expressed outrage and accused Khan of being a "rogue prosecutor who's gone amuck." He characterized the prosecutor's actions as an attempt to "demonize" Israel, the only democracy in the Middle East.
Khan's request for arrest warrants stems from allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The accusations include seven alleged crimes, such as "starvation of civilians as a method of warfare" and "intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population."
Netanyahu has strongly disputed these claims, labeling them "false and dangerous." He criticized the ICC for seeking warrants against both Israeli and Hamas officials, arguing that there is no equivalence between the two parties. He likened the situation to seeking arrest warrants for Winston Churchill and Adolf Hitler during World War II or President George W. Bush and Osama bin Laden during the war on terror.
President Biden has rejected the ICC's request for arrest warrants against Israeli officials, asserting that there is "no equivalence" between Israel and Hamas. Biden emphasized Israel's efforts to protect civilians and rejected allegations of genocide against Israel.
Netanyahu further criticized the ICC for alleging that Israel has been starving Palestinian civilians. Khan's statement accuses Israel of imposing a "total siege" on Gaza, restricting the flow of essential supplies and cutting off water and electricity supplies.
Netanyahu dismissed these charges as "a pack of lies," citing the delivery of 20,000 trucks carrying food and medicine to Gaza. He claimed that food prices have fallen in Gaza, indicating that markets do not support the idea of starvation.
House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-La., stated that Congress is considering options to respond to the ICC's decision, including potential sanctions. An ICC panel of three judges will make the final decision on whether to grant the arrest warrants in the coming months. Netanyahu vowed to fight the allegations and defend Israel against biased accusations.
