International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu | WPN World People News

On the 21st, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, accusing them of war crimes and violations of international humanitarian law. In response, U.S. President Joe Biden issued a statement expressing that the U.S. cannot accept the warrants and emphasized that America will always stand with Israel.

Following the issuance of the warrants, Netanyahu strongly condemned the move as an anti-Semitic act, stating that it would not deter him from defending Israel and that he would not yield to pressure. The White House also released a statement rejecting the arrest warrants. As neither the U.S. nor Israel are members of the ICC, both countries reject the court's jurisdiction. Israel also stated that Deif was killed in an airstrike in July, though Hamas has not confirmed this.

Reactions to the validity of the warrants have been mixed globally. The U.S. has rejected the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, but did not comment on the warrant for Deif. The Argentine government has expressed opposition to the warrants, arguing that they overlook Israel's right to engage in lawful self-defense against terrorist organizations.

EU Foreign Minister Josep Borrell stated that the court's decision must be respected and enforced. Meanwhile, Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani expressed support for the ICC's decision, while also indicating that Italy would work with its allies to assess future actions.