ICC halts Netanyahu's arrest process, Israel awaits resolution
The International Criminal Court in The Hague has revoked the arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Galant, effectively pausing Israel's case for several months, reports "The Jerusalem Post".
What you need to know
- ICC Decision: According to The Jerusalem Post, the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court has revoked the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant, which were initially issued in November 2024.
- Reasons for Reversal: The Court determined that Israel's jurisdictional objections hadn't been fully considered, which was against the legal process.
- Political Context: The 2024 ruling was viewed as a significant setback for Israel, with possible diplomatic and economic repercussions.
Why did the ICC revoke the arrest warrants?
In 2024, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber concluded that there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Galant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the population of the Gaza Strip of the means necessary for survival, including food, water, medicine, and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity". However, the Appeals Chamber decided that Israel's jurisdictional objections needed to be fully considered, which had been overlooked previously.
The Pre-Trial Chamber had earlier ruled that the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant remained valid, despite Israel's jurisdictional objections not being fully addressed, as this issue could be resolved later, according to the newspaper.
What does the ICC's decision mean for Israel?
The Appeals Chamber's decision implies that Israel's case is "frozen" until further hearings by the ICC, which might take several months or longer to conclude. The November 2024 ruling was perceived in Israel as a significant judicial setback with notable diplomatic and political implications.
Israel does not recognize the ICC and has not ratified the Rome Statute, which established the Court to prosecute individuals for severe crimes, such as genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. However, Palestine is a party to the treaty, allowing the Court to investigate alleged crimes in Palestinian territories.
