The International Criminal Court may soon intervene in the ongoing conflict in the Middle East. According to Jewish state media, the ICC is preparing to issue arrest warrants for Israeli government officials and leaders of Hamas. The court is in fact investigating both the attacks of the October 7both on IDF operations in the Strip.
The Court’s Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said the body has jurisdiction over any potential war crime committed by terrorists and Jewish soldiers and which his team is actively investigating so that anyone responsible for violating the law is held accountable. Israel is not a member of the Court and does not recognize its jurisdiction, while the Palestinian territories have been admitted with the status of Observer country in 2015.
Tel Aviv Foreign Minister Israel Katz commented on the news, saying he expected the Court “refrain from issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli political and security officials”. The Israeli diplomatic chief also added that, should the court proceed, “we will not bow our heads nor will we be discouraged and continue to fight”. Katz also warned embassies to strengthen their security, because the ICC decision could trigger “waves of serious anti-Semitism”. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also expressed his opinion on the issue, underlining that any decision by the Court will not influence Israel’s actions but will create a “dangerous previous”. For its part, Hamas has not made any statements.
According to the Gaza authorities, controlled by the terrorist organization, the IDF operations in the Strip have so far caused more than 34 thousand victims. The exclave’s Ministry of Health, however, does not distinguish between combatants and civilians. The Jewish state has repeatedly stated that it is not at war with the Palestinian population and that it has taken all necessary precautions to minimize the deaths of innocent people. These are declarations that Hamas has rejected, accusing Tel Aviv of waging a campaign aimed at destruction of the people of Gaza.
The case at the International Criminal Court is hoped for by South Africa’s accusation of genocide against Israel at the International Court of Justice.
The latter is a UN body also based in The Hague which rejected Tel Aviv’s request to dismiss the case and established the obligation for the Jewish State to take immediate measures for thehumanitarian assistance in favor of the Palestinian population.
