Several humanitarian agencies warned the international community must heed a decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) warned the “important” announcement hinges on the “governments’ willingness to support justice.”
“The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law,” said Balkees Jarrah, an associate international justice director at HRW.
“These warrants should finally push the international community to address atrocities and secure justice for all victims in Palestine and Israel.”
The top criminal court released arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday, accusing them of war crimes during Israel’s 13-month onslaught in Gaza following the Hamas-led October 7 attacks.
Following the announcement, the UN Special Rapporteur for the Palestinian Territories, Francesca Albanese, said human rights leaders “must work together to keep the flame of accountability burning bright,” in a post on X.
The Israeli human rights organization B’Tselem called on “all states parties” to respect the decision and “enforce the warrants.”
“Personal accountability for decision-makers is a key element in the struggle for justice and freedom,” B’Tselem said on Thursday. “The Israeli government’s policy has resulted in tens of thousands of civilians killed, hundreds of thousands of civilians starved and the horrific suffering of millions.”
The UK-based NGO, Medical Aid for Palestinians (MAP), said the ICC announcement “must be a turning point for Gaza and the broader region.”
“Israel’s ongoing violations against Palestinians have been emboldened by decades of impunity and the attacks on Gaza in the past year have devastated the health system and caused enormous civilian suffering,” MAP said in a statement to CNN.
“Palestinians can wait no longer for justice and protection under the law, and the UK must not be an ally to atrocities.”
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office responded to the ICC’s decision saying, “Israel utterly rejects the absurd and false actions and accusations against it by the International Criminal Court, which is a politically biased and discriminatory body.”
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