Israel appealed to the nations of the “free and civilized world” to condemn the arrest request made to the International Criminal Court (ICC), by prosecutor Karim Khan, against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Khan, who is the ICC’s chief prosecutor, made the request to the court this Monday (20). In addition to members of the Israeli government, the prosecutor also called for the arrest of leaders of the terrorist group Hamas, including Yahya Sinwar, head of the Palestinian group in Gaza, and Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political office, who currently lives in Qatar. .
This Tuesday, the Israeli government, through spokesman Tal Heinrich, defended its military actions in Gaza, claiming that the country is operating against Hamas terrorists “who are thirsty for blood.”
“We call on the nations of the free, civilized world, nations that despise terrorists and anyone who supports them, to support Israel. You must openly condemn this move [o pedido de prisão]” said Heinrich.
“Make sure the ICC understands whose side you are on. Oppose the prosecutor’s decision and declare that even if warrants are issued, you have no intention of carrying them out. Because this is not about our leaders. It’s about our survival”, emphasized the spokesperson.
In his request to the ICC, Khan stated that while Israel has the right to defend itself against Hamas, “this does not exempt the country from complying with international humanitarian law.” He accused Israel of intentionally causing “death, hunger, great suffering and serious injury to the body or health of the civilian population” of Gaza.
On Monday, the day Khan sent his requests, France, one of the Western countries, decided to send a message of support to the court.
“France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence and the fight against impunity in all situations,” said a statement from the European country’s foreign ministry led by Emmanuel Macron.
The statement goes against the position of other Western countries, such as the USA and Germany, which have already criticized the “false equivalence” in Khan’s request.
#Israel #calls #free #civilized #world #condemn #arrest #warrant #Netanyahu #Gallant