Israel’s foreign minister on Monday denounced the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as “scandalous,” calling it an attack on the victims of Hamas’ October 7 raid.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan seeks warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas over alleged war crimes. A panel of pre-trial judges will review the evidence to decide on the warrants.
Foreign Minister Israel Katz announced the creation of a special war room within the foreign ministry to counteract the ICC prosecutor’s move. Katz emphasized that no force could prevent Israel from rescuing hostages taken by Hamas on October 7 and dismantling the militant group.
Katz, a member of Netanyahu’s Likud party, stated that the war room aims to ensure Israel’s right to self-defense is upheld. He plans to speak with foreign ministers globally, urging them to oppose the prosecutor’s decision and to declare that any issued warrants will not be enforced against Israeli leaders.
“I intend to speak with foreign ministers of leading countries around the world to urge them to oppose the prosecutor’s decision and declare that even if warrants are issued, they do not intend to enforce them against Israeli leaders,” Katz said.
