The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has asked the court this Monday to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Nentanyahu just like him Hamas leader Yahya Sinwarfor alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
According to international media, about An arrest warrant would also be imposed on Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
This Friday, the Assembly of States Parties to the International Criminal Court (ICC) warned that it will not be “intimidated by threats or measures” against the court due to the investigation opened into the situation in Palestine, including Gaza, and urged all countries to respect “the independence and impartiality” of the judicial institution.
The Court condemned attempts to “undermine the independence, integrity and impartiality” of the ICC and expressed its “concern” about threatening statements made from the United States and Israel based on rumors that prosecutor Karim Khan would be preparing arrest warrants against Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
“The Court has the fundamental mandate to hold perpetrators of crimes accountable and provide justice to all victims equally,” noted the Assembly, the legislative and oversight body of the ICC, made up of representatives of all countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, the court’s founding treaty.
Likewise, the US House of Representatives, Mike Johnson, had described these alleged arrest warrants as “shameful” and “illegal”. Israel called them an “anti-Semitic hate crime” and “an abuse,” and Republican lawmakers are working on legislative retaliation against the ICC.
“We call on all States to respect the independence and impartiality of the ICC. “We reiterate our firm commitment to support and defend the principles and values enshrined in the Rome Statute and to preserve its integrity without allowing ourselves to be intimidated by threats or measures against the Court, its officials and those who collaborate with it,” he warned.
EFE
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