Israel to appeal ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant
France earlier said it would not arrest Netanyahu, citing its obligation to grant Netanyahu immunity
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday that Israel would appeal the arrest warrants issued by the ICC last week.
This comes after France stated that it would not arrest Netanyahu, citing its obligation to grant immunity to foreign leaders, despite reaffirming its support for the International Criminal Court.
The court granted warrants against Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, months after prosecutor Karim Khan announced he was seeking the arrest of the Israeli leaders. He also sought warrants for three Hamas leaders, including Yahyah Sinwar, but the court said that they had apparently been killed by Israeli operations in the Gaza Strip.
The arrests are over the Israel Defense Forces' conduct in Gaza since the Hamas terror onslaught against Israel on October 7, 2023, which critics have said amounts to genocide. Israel and its supporters, however, cite the numerous steps taken by the military to prevent civilian casualties, including transferring and facilitating humanitarian aid, announcing areas to evacuate ahead of attacks, and the fact that Hamas embeds itself in civilian areas.