The Israeli government quickly denounced a “scandalous” and “anti-Semitic decision”. As for Hamas, it declared that it “strongly condemned” the request from the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the prosecutor’s decision, calling it “shame” and attack against the Israeli army and all of Israel.
In a statement, the Israeli Prime Minister also pledged to continue the war against Hamas.
Mr Netanyahu said the request for an arrest warrant was “absurd” and called the decision anti-Semitism.
“As Prime Minister of Israel, I reject with disgust the comparison made by the Hague prosecutor between democratic Israel and the mass murders of Hamas”, did he declare. “No pressure or decision from any international forum will prevent us from striking those who seek to destroy us.” he added.
A “scandalous” decision, according to Joe Biden
US President Joe Biden called “scandalous” the ICC prosecutor’s attempt to seek arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as well as Hamas leaders for actions during the war that began seven months ago.
In a scathing statement, Joe Biden rejected the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor’s request to arrest Benjamin Netanyahu as well as his Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, declaring that “whatever this prosecutor may insinuate, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas“.
“We will always stand with Israel in the face of threats to its security“, he added.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken estimated that the prosecutor’s request “could compromise“Gaza ceasefire talks.”Hamas is a violent terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans“, he said.
For its part, Germany regretted a decision which gave a “false impression of equivalence” between these leaders.
War crimes and crimes against humanity
The court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, accused Mr Netanyahu, Mr Gallant and three Hamas leaders – Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh – of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and in Israel.
“We affirm that the crimes against humanity referred to in the petitions were part of a widespread and systematic attack directed against the Palestinian civilian population in pursuit of the policy of an organization. According to our findings, some of these crimes continue to be committed.”said the prosecutor, about the two leaders.
The accusations against Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, the movement’s leader, include “extermination”, “rape and other forms of sexual violence” And “hostage-taking as a war crime”.
“We affirm that the crimes against humanity referred to in the petitions were part of a widespread and systematic attack carried out by Hamas and other armed groups in pursuit of the policies of an organization. it is indicated in the press release.
Palestinian Hamas reacted by condemning “firmly” the request of the ICC and denounced “the attempts of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to equate the victim with the executioner by issuing arrest warrants against a number of Palestinian resistance leaders“.
Although Mr. Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, are not at risk of imminent arrest, the announcement by the attorney general of the International Criminal Court was a symbolic blow, which reinforced Israel’s isolation in the context of the war in Gaza. Israeli leaders condemned the decision as shameful and anti-Semitic.
Additional sources •AP