Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has denounced the International Criminal Court's (ICC) request for arrest warrants against him and other Israeli officials, accusing the ICC prosecutor of "demonizing" Israel. The ICC has ordered Israel to halt its military offensive in Rafah against Hamas, a Palestinian terrorist group.
The United Nations' top court, the International Criminal Court (ICC), has issued an order demanding Israel "immediately halt its military offensive" against Hamas in Rafah, the Palestinian terrorist group's final stronghold in the Gaza Strip. The message from the ICC comes hours after Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told Fox News host Sean Hannity that there are four Hamas battalions remaining in Rafah and his country refuses to "leave them there."
"The military ground offensive in Rafah, which Israel started on 7 May 2024, is still ongoing and has led to new evacuation orders," the court said in its ruling. "As a result, according to United Nations reports, nearly 800,000 people have been displaced from Rafah as of 18 May 2024."
The ICC added that the "immense" humanitarian risks "associated with a military offensive in Rafah have started to materialize and will intensify even further if the operation continues."
Israeli soldiers operate atop a tank near the Israel-Gaza border on May 21, 2024. (Reuters/Amir Cohen)
One of the votes by the court in favor of halting the Rafah operation was made by ICJ President Nawaf Salem, whom the Jerusalem Post reports has had a history of making anti-Israel statements. The Lebanese judge reportedly wrote in 2015 that "Israel must stop violence and end occupation" and "Portraying the critics of Israel’s policies as antisemites is an attempt to intimidate and discredit them, which we reject."
But Israeli government spokesperson Avi Hyman, when asked about the ICJ order on Friday, declared that "No power on earth will stop Israel from protecting its citizens and going after Hamas in Gaza."
"We will destroy Hamas, we will return peace and security to the people of Israel and to the people of Gaza," Hyman added. "We cannot go on with a genocidal terrorist regime on our southern border."
Netanyahu said during his interview with Hannity that there was a disagreement with the Biden administration on a large-scale Rafah operation but vowed Thursday to do what is necessary to defeat Hamas.
"We're going in there. We're trying to reach an understanding with the administration. I hope we do, but we'll do what we need to do, what we must do to make sure that Hamas doesn't retake Gaza and do what they promised to do," he said. "And that is to repeat the horrible October 7th massacre."
The prime minister likened Israel leaving several Hamas battalions in Rafah to the Allies leaving 20% of the Nazi army in Berlin during World War II.
"That would be unacceptable," he added. "It's unacceptable to us too."
Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks out against the ICC's announcement to pursue an arrest warrant against him over alleged war crimes in Gaza. (Government Press Office)
The ICC's request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other Israeli officials is based on allegations of war crimes committed during the 2014 Gaza conflict. The ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, has accused Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders of "grave violations of international humanitarian law" and "crimes against humanity."
Netanyahu has vehemently denied the allegations and has accused the ICC of bias against Israel. He has also said that he will not cooperate with the ICC's investigation.
The Israeli government has denounced the ICC's request for arrest warrants as "illegitimate" and a "political witch hunt." It has also said that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over Israel because Israel is not a member of the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC.
The United States has also criticized the ICC's request for arrest warrants, saying that it "undermines efforts to achieve a lasting and just peace between Israelis and Palestinians." The US has also said that it will not cooperate with the ICC's investigation.
The ICC's request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other Israeli officials has been met with mixed reactions from the international community. Some countries have supported the ICC's decision, while others have criticized it.
The United Nations Human Rights Council has welcomed the ICC's decision, saying that it "sends a strong message that no one is above the law." The European Union has also said that it supports the ICC's decision.
However, some countries have criticized the ICC's decision, saying that it is biased against Israel. Russia has said that the ICC's decision is "unfair" and "politically motivated." China has also said that it has "serious concerns" about the ICC's decision.
The ICC's request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other Israeli officials has also been met with mixed reactions from civil society organizations. Some organizations have welcomed the ICC's decision, while others have criticized it.
Human Rights Watch has welcomed the ICC's decision, saying that it "sends a strong message that those responsible for serious crimes will be held accountable." Amnesty International has also said that it supports the ICC's decision.
However, some organizations have criticized the ICC's decision, saying that it is biased against Israel. The International Legal Forum has said that the ICC's decision is "unfair" and "politically motivated." The Middle East Forum has also said that the ICC's decision is "a travesty of justice."
The ICC's request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and other Israeli officials is a significant development in the ongoing conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. It remains to be seen how the ICC's decision will affect the prospects for peace in the region.
