ICC Arrest Warrants For Israeli Officials Require International Enforcement

By IFEXThis statement was originally published on cihrs.org on 21 November 2024.CIHRS welcomes the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants against the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and the Previous Minister of Defense of Israel, Yoav Gallant, as well as the head of Hamas’ military wing, Mohammad Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (‘Deif’), in the context of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel and Palestine from at least 7 October 2023. As Israel continues to deliberately turn Gaza into uninhabitable land, indiscriminately killing civilians and targeting crucial infrastructure for survival, the ICC’s decision to bring key officials to justice should be a warning for Israel and states supportive of its policies to comply with their international obligations.“Although the ICC’s decision to issue arrest warrants against key Israel and Hamas officials is a significant step towards accountability for heinous crimes that have been ongoing for over a year, the effectiveness of the Court’s arrest warrants requires other states to uphold their role in surrendering the wanted officials. The international community must finally step up and hold all parties accountable for their atrocities”,says Amna Guellali, Research Director at the Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies.Israel...