THE HAGUE: International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants Thursday (21st Nov, 2024) for PM Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas Military Commander Mohammed Deif (who was killed by Israel) over war crimes.

According to the judges there were reasonable grounds that the trio bore criminal responsibility for Gaza war. Both Hamas and Israel rejected the allegations. The toothless court has no means of enforcing such an arrest.

Reacting to the ICC’s issuance of arrest warrants Joe Biden said: “The ICC issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous…Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.“

US Senator Lindsay Graham posted: “As far as I’m concerned, the ICJ can go to hell. It is long past time to stand up to these so-called international justice organisations associated with the UN. Their anti-Israel bias is overwhelming.

“The ICJ’s ruling that Israel should stop operations that are necessary to destroy four battalions of Hamas killers and terrorists – who use Palestinians as human shields – is ridiculous. This will and should be ignored by Israel.”

Hamas’ Bassem Naim termed it an important step towards justice. He maintained it could lead “to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world,”

Iran’s Revolutionary Guards chief General Hossein Salami noted: “This means the end and political death of the Zionist regime, a regime that today lives in absolute political isolation in the world and its officials can no longer travel to other countries.”

Saudi Foreign Ministry stated: “Saudi Arabia welcomes the decision issued by the International Court of Justice ordering Israel to immediately stop the military offensive or any other actions in Rafah, in accordance with the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide.”

Justin Trudeau remarked: “It’s really important that everyone abide by international law. We stand up for international law, and we will abide by all the regulations and rulings of the international courts.”

Foreign Ministry of Egypt: “Egypt calls on Israel to comply with its legal obligations within the framework of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide and international humanitarian law, and to implement all interim measures issued by the ICJ, which are considered legally binding and enforceable, as they are issued by the highest international judicial body.

“Egypt stresses that Israel bears full legal responsibility for the deteriorating humanitarian conditions in the Gaza Strip as the occupying power, calling onIsrael to stop its systematic policies against the Palestinian people of targeting, starvation and siege in violation of all provisions of international law and international humanitarian law.”

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Indonesia: “Indonesia calls on the UN General Assembly and the Security Council to meet the request of the court by considering appropriate means and necessary steps to end Israel’s unlawful presence in Palestine”.

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi posted on X: “And once again, the Israeli Govt reacts with disdain to Int’l law, refusing to heed the Court’s orders. The UNSC must shoulder its responsibility, put an end to Israel’s impunity & to double standards in enforcing Int’l law.”

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa: “South Africa welcomes the order handed down by the International Court of Justice today. We are gravely concerned that Israel has restricted necessary levels of aid from entering Gaza and has systematically targeted aid and aid infrastructure within Gaza.

“This case is thus focused on the ordinary Palestinians in Gaza who are now facing their seventh month of suffering through collective punishment for something for which they have no individual responsibility. South Africa remains concerned that the United Nations Security Council has so far not succeeded in stopping the human suffering.”

Prime Minister Anthony Albanese: “We want to see concrete steps taken by Israel to cease the expansion of settlements to respond to extremist activity.”

“Belgium will always stand up for the respect of international law,” Minister of Foreign Affairs Hadja Lahbib.

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Brazil said: “The ruling reinforces the need for a two-state solution, with an independent and viable state of Palestine living side by side with Israel, in peace and security, within the 1967 borders, which include the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, with East Jerusalem as its capital”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Iceland: “Continued Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem is unlawful and so are its settlement activities. Iceland calls on Israel to cease all activity that violates international law”.

Newspakistan.tv