Israel is reportedly urging the International Criminal Court (ICC) to delay issuing arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in Gaza, according to Israeli media.
Tel Aviv is applying diplomatic pressure on the ICC, based in The Hague, to postpone potential arrest warrants against the two officials. However, it is uncertain how this pressure will impact the court’s decision, Haaretz newspaper reported on Wednesday.
On May 20, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he had requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, accusing them of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza. Israel has strongly condemned and rejected the prosecutor’s request, but it remains unclear how the country will respond if the warrants are issued.
Haaretz reported that Israeli officials are currently evaluating whether the ICC has the authority to rule on matters related to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The request for arrest warrants is now being reviewed by a panel of ICC judges, who will consider legal opinions from various countries and international organizations before making a decision. However, Israeli officials are unsure how long this review process will take.
Read More: Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu Rejects ICC Prosecutor’s Arrest Bid
While Israel is not a member of the ICC, Palestine joined the court in 2015. The ICC, established in 2002, is an independent international body, separate from the United Nations or any other institution, and its decisions are legally binding. Despite Israel’s rejection of the ICC’s jurisdiction, the court’s authority extends to the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, enabling it to prosecute Israeli officials accused of committing crimes in these areas.
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