International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan has defended the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammad Deif for alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict. In an interview with Reuters, Khan criticized Israel for making “no real effort” to investigate these allegations.
Khan emphasized that the ICC acts as a court of last resort, stepping in only when nations fail to adequately address allegations of war crimes. “We haven’t seen any real effort by the State of Israel to take action that would meet the established jurisprudence,” Khan said, adding that Israel still has the opportunity to demonstrate its willingness to investigate.
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The arrest warrants, issued last November, have drawn sharp criticism from Israel and its allies, including the US, which is not an ICC member. The US House of Representatives recently passed the “Illegitimate Court Counteraction Act,” signaling strong opposition to the ICC’s actions. Khan described the move as “unwanted and unwelcome” but reaffirmed the court’s commitment to justice for victims of atrocities.
While Israel has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction, Khan noted that the country has significant legal expertise and could have handled the cases domestically. However, he argued that Israel’s judicial system has not sufficiently scrutinized the allegations in the occupied Palestinian territories.