Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is facing a new challenge as he seeks to avoid potential arrest warrants from the International Criminal Court (ICC) over Israel’s actions in Gaza. In a surprising move, Netanyahu has reached out to the families of captives held by Hamas in Gaza to help lobby the ICC on his behalf.
According to a report by News 12, Netanyahu contacted the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, a group established by families of those abducted during the Hamas-led attacks in Gaza, to ask for their assistance in convincing the ICC not to issue arrest warrants against him and other Israeli officials and military commanders. This comes after about 100 families of captives travelled to the Hague in February to file a lawsuit against senior Hamas officials.
Since then, some of these families have reportedly established “friendly” relations with the ICC’s prosecutor, British lawyer Karim Khan. Netanyahu, upon learning about this connection, urged the families to persuade Khan to drop any plans of issuing arrest warrants against Israeli officials.
The Israeli broadcaster described Netanyahu’s appeal as “very unusual”, highlighting the prime minister’s deep concern over the potential arrest warrants. Sources familiar with the matter indicated that Khan was expected to issue the warrants, possibly as early as the following week. There are also concerns that the warrants may have been issued secretly, leaving Israeli officials unaware until they travel to European countries.
Netanyahu’s approach to the situation has been described as “threatening” by some, with reports suggesting that he is using diplomatic channels to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants. Israeli officials are seeking assurances from the US government, particularly from Secretary of State Antony Blinken, that the White House would intervene to stop any ICC action against Israeli leaders.
In response to the looming threat of arrest warrants, Netanyahu released a video condemning the potential labeling of Israeli leaders as “war criminals”. He argued that such a move would be an “outrage of historic proportions” and accused the ICC of unfairly targeting Israel while ignoring genocidal threats from countries like Iran.
The Israeli prime minister emphasized the moral standing of the Israeli army, calling it “one of the most moral militaries in the world”. He warned that branding Israeli leaders and soldiers as war criminals would only fuel antisemitism and undermine Israel’s defense against terrorist threats.
As tensions rise and the possibility of arrest warrants looms, the ICC has maintained that it is conducting an independent investigation into the situation in Palestine. The prosecutor’s office has refrained from commenting on ongoing investigations and has not responded to speculations and media reports.
With the stakes high and diplomatic efforts underway, Netanyahu and Israeli officials are working tirelessly to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants that could have significant implications for Israel’s standing on the international stage.