Haaretz quoted Justice Ministry sources as saying that the chances of issuing arrest warrants are not high because it would be “unreasonable” for the court to announce three arrest warrants. This is because the original request sought five arrest warrants, including three against leaders of the factions movement, but two of those leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif, have since been assassinated.
Another factor contributing to the optimistic assessment is the dozens of legal briefs filed with the court last month, many of which support the Israeli position.
According to the report, the failure to establish an official commission of inquiry into wartime decisions, as well as what is seen as inadequate prosecution of wartime offenses by the Israeli judicial system, are seen as factors that increase the chances of arrest warrants being issued eventually.
In his request last May for arrest warrants, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan accused Netanyahu, Sinwar, Deif and Haniyeh of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
Netanyahu called the attorney general’s charges against him a “disgrace” and an attack on the IDF and all of Israel. He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against the terror group. The terror group also denounced Khan’s actions, saying the arrest warrant for its leaders was “equal to the victim and the executioner.”
It should be noted that Israel is not a member of the ICC, so even if arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Galant face no immediate risk of prosecution. However, the threat of arrest could make it difficult for Israeli leaders to travel abroad.
Source: The Times of Israel + RT
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2024-09-04 04:22:23
