Reactions as ICC orders arrest of Israeli prime minister, others

Reactions have been trickling in after the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.

The apex court accused them of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the ongoing Gaza conflict.

The ICC alleges that Netanyahu and Gallant committed crimes including murder, persecution, and the use of starvation as a weapon during a “widespread and systematic attack” on Gaza’s civilian population.
The warrant for Masri lists charges of mass killings during the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks on Israel that triggered the Gaza war and also charges of rape and the taking of hostages.

While reacting to the arrest order, Jeremy Corbyn, the former UK Labour Party chief and an incumbent independent lawmaker, said the arrest warrants are overdue.

He called on the UK government to embrace the order. He wrote on X, “Will the UK government now, finally, honour its international obligations to prevent genocide and end all arms sales to Israel?”

EU chief Josep Borrell said on X, “I take note of the decision of the @IntlCrimCourt to issue arrest warrants for Israel PM Netanyahu, former Minister Gallant, and Hamas leader Deif. These decisions are binding on all States party to the Rome Statute, which includes all EU Member States.”

The United States, Israel’s main supporter in the war, said it “fundamentally rejects” the pronouncement. “We remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor’s rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision,” a White House National Security Council spokesperson said.

Also, Javier Milei, the pro-Israeli president of Argentina, said the country “does not agree” with the ICC decision because it “ignores Israel’s right to defend itself against the ongoing attacks by terrorist organisations such as Hamas and Hezbollah”.