Netanyahu’s office hosts emergency talks on feared ICC warrants for PM, ministers
Israel media, however, has been reporting that the leadership is increasingly worried by the prospect of arrest warrants against PM Benjamin Netanyahu and other political and military leaders, for alleged breaches of international law in Gaza.
Israeli officials confirm meeting held on how to prevent potential arrest warrants for Israeli leaders and IDF officers, a prospect that TV report says Israel is increasingly worried by.
Israel is increasingly worried by the prospect of the International Criminal Court in The Hague issuing arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other Israeli political and military leaders for alleged breaches of international law in Gaza, Israeli television reported Thursday.
Israel trying to influence court rulings, mockery of justice
According to Channel 12 news, three ministers and several government legal experts held an “emergency discussion” at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday about how to fend off the potential warrants.
The meeting was convened after Jerusalem received messages indicating that such warrants could be issued in the near future, the report said, without citing any sources.
Israeli officials confirmed to The Times of Israel that the meeting took place and said there were also discussions about the possibility that warrants could be issued against IDF officers.
Netanyahu raised the matter in his meetings this week with Britain’s Foreign Secretary David Cameron and Germany’s Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock, and sought their help, the TV report said.
Jerusalem reportedly feared the arrest warrants would be sought due to the humanitarian crisis amid the fighting in the Gaza Strip, with countries that accuse Israel of breaching international law and the Fourth Geneva Convention said to be leading the effort.
Not the first time
In February, a delegation of relatives of hostages being held by Hamas filed a war crimes complaint with the ICC against the terrorist organization’s leaders. The accusations in the filing included kidnapping, crimes of sexual violence, torture and other serious allegations.
In 2019, the ICC announced that it would be launching a probe into alleged war crimes committed by both sides during the 2014 Protective Edge Israel-Hamas conflict, Israeli settlement policy and the Israeli response to protests at the Gaza border. The probe was formally opened on March 3, 2021, and was met with strong criticism from Israel.
