"No war is fairer"

 

Benjamin Netanyahu

Arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu

Ellen Sundström,

Matthias Kjellman

Updated 20.00 | Published 12.59

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu.

This also applies to Israel's former defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader al-Masri.

The court believes that Netanyahu and Gallant used starvation as a "weapon".

ICC wants to arrest Netanyahu: "Used starvation as a weapon"

FACTS

This is happening now - questions and answers about the ICC decision

What is ICC?

• The ICC is an international court based in The Hague that investigates and tries individuals for war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The court was established in 2002 and has 123 member states, but Israel is not a member.

What does an ICC arrest warrant mean?

• An arrest warrant means that Netanyahu is formally suspected of crimes and that the ICC is asking member states and international actors to help arrest him if he travels to a country that recognizes the ICC's jurisdiction. 

Can Netanyahu be arrested?

• Since Israel does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction, he is unlikely to be arrested in Israel. However, he may risk being arrested if he travels to a country that cooperates with the ICC.
  

What does Israel say about the ICC?

• Israel has previously condemned the ICC, accusing the court of being biased against the country. The government claims that the ICC has no right to investigate Israel because the country is not a member of the court.
  

What happens now?

• It is up to ICC member states to decide how they handle the arrest warrant. At the same time, this could affect Netanyahu's opportunities to travel internationally and strengthen the debate about the ICC's role and legitimacy.

How does this affect international politics?

• An arrest warrant against a sitting prime minister is unusual and could have major diplomatic consequences. It could increase tensions between Israel and countries that support the ICC and affect the Middle East peace process.

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During the spring, Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and several Hamas leaders.

At the time, it was reported that a panel of judges at the ICC had to assess whether it could be accepted - which has now been done.

"Deliberately and consciously"

"The Chamber considered that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals have intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population of Gaza of items indispensable to their survival, including food, water and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity," the parliament writes.

In a joint decision, three judges issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and  Israel's former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, AP writes.

Foreign Minister Stenergard comments 

Minister of Foreign Affairs, Maria Malmer Stenergard, comments on the arrest warrant.

"The arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court is the court's independent decision. Sweden and the EU support the court's important work and protect its independence and integrity," she writes.

Sweden Democrats party leader Jimmie Åkesson opposes the arrest warrant.

"It is an incomprehensible decision in a situation where Israel is waging an existential defensive war against a blood-soaked terrorist organization. It is regrettable that Sweden's foreign minister and government are unable to take a clearer position," he writes on X.

Netanyahu: Absurd accusations

Later in the day, Netanyahu's office made a statement about the arrest warrants, writes Norwegian TV 2.

- The decision from The Hague is anti-Semitic and was taken by a corrupt chief prosecutor.

Netanyahu's press officer, David Mencer, also tells TV 2 that they reject the accusations.

- We completely reject the false and absurd accusations of the International Criminal Court, a biased and discriminatory political body, says Netanyahu's press officer, David Mencer, to TV 2.

He continues:

- No war is more just than the war Israel has waged in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when the terrorist organization Hamas launched a murderous attack and carried out the largest massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust.

 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.