Israel urges ‘civilized nations’ to ignore ICC arrest warrants for its leaders

Israel has called on “civilized nations” to reject any arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) targeting its leaders.

The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced on Monday that he had requested arrest warrants for three senior Hamas officials as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. These warrants are for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Hamas attack on October 7 and the subsequent seven-month war in Gaza.

Many in Israel interpreted the ICC’s actions as equating the elected Israeli leaders with the leaders of the Islamist group Hamas: Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’s chief in Gaza; Mohammed Deif, the commander of its military wing; and Ismail Haniyeh, the political bureau leader based in Qatar. This comparison has caused outrage among Israeli officials, the public, and the country’s allies.

Israel Said “Make sure the ICC understands where you stand. Oppose the prosecutor’s decision and declare that, even if warrants are issued, you do not intend to enforce them. Because this is not about our leaders. It’s about our survival.”