ICC halts Netanyahu, Galant arrest warrants amid legal review
The International Criminal Court in The Hague has revoked the arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Galant, effectively freezing Israel's case for several months, reports "The Jerusalem Post".
What do 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 issued in November 2024.
- Reasons for reversal: The Court found that Israel's jurisdictional objections were not fully considered, which was unlawful.
- Political context: The 2024 ruling was seen as a significant defeat for Israel, with potential diplomatic and economic consequences.
Why did the ICC revoke the arrest warrants?
In 2024, the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber found that there were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Galant "intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity." However, the Appeals Chamber determined that Israel's jurisdictional objections to the Court had to be fully considered, which had not occurred previously.
The Pre-Trial Chamber had previously ruled that the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant gained validity despite Israel's jurisdictional objections not being fully addressed, as this issue could be resolved later, explained the newspaper.
What does the ICC's decision mean for Israel?
The Appeals Chamber's decision means that Israel's case remains "frozen" until further hearings by the ICC, which may take several months or longer to complete. The November 2024 ruling was viewed in Israel as a serious judicial defeat with significant diplomatic and political implications.
Israel does not recognise the ICC and has not ratified the Rome Statute, which establishes the Court to prosecute individuals for the most serious 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.
