By The Prime Minister of Israel Benjamin Netanyahu now sails in the same boat as that of the President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin as he is now a wanted man by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC on Thursday, 21 November 2024, issued a warrant of arrest for Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of Defence stating that the Court has found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that each has committed the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, as a direct perpetrator, acting jointly with others.
The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that they are each responsible for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against civilians as a superior.
In his statement, the ICC Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC said he has also issued a warrant of arrest for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri; he said the ICC found reasonable grounds to believe that he is responsible for the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, torture, and rape and other forms of sexual violence; as well as the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, taking hostages, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and other forms of sexual violence.
“Today, our collective mind and focus should be on the victims of international crimes in Israel and in the State of Palestine. In my own meetings with the victims and families of hostages taken from kibbutzim, and with victims from Gaza who have lost so many loved ones, I have underlined that the law is there for all, that its role is to vindicate the rights of all persons.
The decision of the independent judges of the International Criminal Court affirms that international humanitarian law must be upheld in all circumstances through fair and impartial judicial processes,” said the ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan.
South Africa who championed the crime against humanity case against Israel at the ICC has since welcomed the issuance of the warrant of arrest for Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister.
“The South African Government welcomes the ICC’s recent warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif of Hamas. These actions mark a significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine.
South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law and urges all state parties to act in accordance with their obligations in the Rome Statute. We call on the global community to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations,” said the Department of International Relations and Cooperation (DIRCO) of South Africa.
