US President Joe Biden has strongly condemned the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) war crimes arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, calling the move “outrageous.”
The court found “reasonable grounds” to believe that these men were criminally responsible for crimes committed during the war between Israel and Hamas, which has led to devastating casualties and widespread destruction.
In a statement, Biden said, “Whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security.” His comments reflect the stark divide between the US and several European nations in response to the ICC’s decision.
The ICC’s warrants have sparked a global debate, with some countries supporting the court’s authority while others, including Israel’s closest allies, strongly reject it.
The court’s ruling focuses on allegations that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity, such as murder and persecution.
For Deif, the court found reasonable grounds to believe he was involved in murder, extermination, torture, and sexual violence against civilians.
Netanyahu dismissed the ICC’s decision, calling it “antisemitic” and comparing it to the infamous Dreyfus Trial of the late 19th century. He added, “The court in The Hague accuses us of a deliberate policy of starvation, this when we have supplied Gaza with 700,000 tons of food to feed the people of Gaza.
We issue millions of text messages, phone calls, and leaflets to the citizens of Gaza to get them out of harm’s way – while the Hamas terrorists do everything in their power to keep them in harm’s way, including shooting them, using them as human shields.” Netanyahu vowed that Israel would “not recognise the validity” of the ICC’s decision.
Gallant echoed Netanyahu’s sentiments, criticising the ICC for equating Israel’s actions with Hamas’ alleged atrocities, which include the killing of babies and the rape of women. He called the decision “legitimising” acts of terrorism and urged that the focus should be on Hamas’ crimes.
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert also condemned the ICC’s ruling, asserting that while he disagreed with Netanyahu’s handling of the war, he did not believe Israel had committed genocide or war crimes deserving of these charges.
Meanwhile, Palestinians and Hamas have welcomed the ICC’s decision. Hamas described the move as an “important historical precedent” and a correction of what they see as long-standing injustice. Palestinians in Gaza expressed hope that Israeli leaders would now be held accountable for their actions.
The impact of the ICC’s warrants hinges on whether its 124 member states, excluding Israel and the US, will enforce them. Several EU nations, including the Netherlands, France, and Italy, have affirmed their support for the court, with EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stating, “the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented.”
However, countries like Hungary and the Czech Republic have rejected the ICC’s ruling, with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban declaring that the decision would have no effect in Hungary.
The warrants stem from the 7 October 2023 Hamas attack on Israel, which resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the capture of 251 hostages. Israel’s subsequent military response has led to heavy casualties in Gaza, with over 44,000 people killed, according to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry.
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