ALBAWABA - Israel has appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to have arrest warrants against former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu revoked. Both officers are charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza by the warrants.
Netanyahu himself decided to appeal, according to a report by Yedioth Ahronoth. Netanyahu denounced the arrest warrants as "baseless and absurd," claiming they had no legal basis, in a statement. He went on to say that the international community would be made aware of the ICC's purported bias against Israel if it denied Israel's appeal.
The appeal's compelling legal arguments were emphasized by Israel's Channel 14, which also hinted that the procedure would cause the warrants' enforcement to be delayed. The report also pointed out that sanctions on the ICC's officials, their families, and any nations that cooperate with the warrants are likely to be imposed by the new government of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump.
Netanyahu, Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, the head of Hamas' armed wing, have all been charged by the ICC with war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza campaign. Deif was killed in the Gaza Strip, according to Israel.
Israel demanded the removal of the arrest warrants and contested the ICC's authority on September 23. The ICC, however, dismissed Israel's protest and let the case to proceed.
