Netanyahu: ‘ICC decisions will not affect Israel’s actions, right to defend itself’

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu posted on X: “Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defence. The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it.”

“Israel will continue to wage to victory our just war against genocidal terrorists and we will never stop defending ourselves,” he added.

Netanyahu also noted: “While the ICC will not affect Israel’s actions, it would set a dangerous precedent that threatens the soldiers and officials of all democracies fighting savage terrorism and wanton aggression.”

Netanyahu’s statement comes in light of Israeli fears of the legal repercussions that may result from the cases being considered by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel, which may lead to the issuance of international arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, including the prime minister himself, due to the war on Gaza.

According to Israel’s Channel 12: ‘The information and messages that Tel Aviv received recently indicate that the possibility of arrest warrants being issued or attempts to push towards this step have increased dramatically.”

The report revealed that Netanyahu’s office held deliberations with the participation of senior officials and legal and judicial experts to discuss confronting these risks.

The report noted Israeli predictions that there have been measures to push for the issuance of international arrest warrants against Israeli officials by the ICC in The Hague, starting at the end of April. The deliberations in Netanyahu’s office discussed the issue of bringing humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

This comes against the backdrop of accusations against Israel of violating international law, the Geneva Convention and the laws of war as part of its devastating war it has been waging since 7 October against the besieged Gaza Strip, causing catastrophic humanitarian conditions.

The report also mentioned that a session was recently held in Netanyahu’s office, attended by Minister of Strategic Affairs Ron Dermer, Minister of Justice Yariv Levin and Minister of Foreign Affairs Israel Katz, with the participation of senior legal professionals in the Ministry of National Security, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Judiciary.

The meeting concluded the need to take practical steps and immediate measures, as well as reach out to the court and international bodies with influence, in an attempt to prevent the issuance of the arrest warrants.

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