Israel Braces for Possible ICC War Crimes Arrest Warrants
The Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs has announced that it has warned its foreign missions about rumours that the International Criminal Court may soon issue arrest warrants for high-ranking political and military officials, as reported by the AP agency on Monday. It is unclear what has raised Israel's concerns.
- We expect the court to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants for high-ranking Israeli officials, said Foreign Minister Israel Katz, adding that such a decision would "provide a morale boost" to the Palestinian Hamas and other terrorist organizations.
Katz emphasised that Israel adheres to "all the laws of war." Therefore, he has asked Israeli diplomatic missions to prepare for a potential rise in anti-Semitism if the International Criminal Court (ICC) decides to issue arrest warrants.
The AP agency noted that in the face of growing international pressure resulting from the ongoing war with Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Israeli officials seem increasingly concerned about the risk associated with potential ICC decisions. The agency recalled that the ICC began an investigation into possible war crimes committed by Israeli and Palestinian fighters as early as 2014. However, there have been no signs that the court plans to issue arrest warrants. The ICC has not commented on these reports.
ICC investigation
AP suggested that several recent statements by Israeli officials regarding increased humanitarian aid for the Gaza Strip might have been an attempt to prevent potential ICC actions.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated on Friday that Israel "will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defence". In his post on the X platform, Netanyahu said that "the threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous", as reported by the Times of Israel.
Even though neither Israel nor its close ally, the United States, recognise the ICC's jurisdiction, a potential court decision could expose Israeli officials to the risk of arrest in other countries.
Meanwhile, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), at the request of the Republic of South Africa, is investigating to assess whether Israel has committed acts of genocide during the ongoing war in Gaza. The ICJ is a UN court that deals with international disputes, and its judgements are final for the parties involved.
The ICC is a criminal court that operates based on treaties. Its task is to prosecute individuals accused of committing the most serious crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and aggression.
