The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and officials of the terror group Hamas on Thursday.
The court issued warrants for leaders of Hamas over the October 7, 2023, terror attack on Israel that sparked the war in Gaza. Hamas’ remaining leaders have reportedly sought refuge in Turkey, a NATO member, after being forced out of Qatar following the election of President-elect Donald Trump.
The ICC, which has long been accused of harboring bias against Israel, accused the Israelis of “crimes against humanity and war crimes” in Israel’s prosecution of its war against Hamas in the Gaza Strip, according to the ICC’s announcement of the warrants.
Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare,” the court claimed. “The Chamber found that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies, created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza.”
The accusations drew sharp rebukes and allegations of anti-Semitism from American and Israeli officials. Netanyahu’s office called the charges against him and Gallant “absurd and false.”
“Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will not surrender to the pressures,” his office said in a statement. “He will not recoil or withdraw until all of the war’s goals — that were set at the start of the battle — are achieved.”
Defense Minister Israel Katz, who recently replaced Gallant in the role, posted a statement to X ripping the court’s decision as “shameful” and “a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism.”
The decision by the International Criminal Court in The Hague to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant is a moral disgrace, entirely tainted by antisemitism, and drags the international judicial system to an unprecedented low.…
— ישראל כ”ץ Israel Katz (@Israel_katz) November 21, 2024
In the U.S., Democratic Sen. John Fetterman of Pennsylvania responded to the ICC warrants, saying on X that the court has “No standing, relevance, or path.” The senator added, “F*** that,” with an emoji of the Israel flag.
GOP Rep. Mike Waltz of Florida, Trump’s pick to be the next National Security Adviser, offered a similar response.
“The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government. Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January,” Waltz posted on X.
The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been refuted by the U.S. government.
Israel has lawfully defended its people & borders from genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the antisemitic bias of the ICC & UN come January. https://t.co/jIalwzooeS
— Rep. Mike Waltz (@michaelgwaltz) November 21, 2024
Republican Sen. Tom Cotton of Arkansas took aim at the ICC’s top prosecutor, Karim Khan.
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“The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it,” Cotton said in a post on X.
The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it.
— Tom Cotton (@SenTomCotton) November 21, 2024