Israel appeals ICC order for Netanyahu: PM office

It also asked the court to suspend the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant pending the outcome of the appeal, the prime minister’s office said in a statement.

The ICC last week issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on suspicion of crimes against humanity and war crimes in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza, sparked by the Palestinian militant group’s attack on October 7, 2023.

The arrest warrants prompted angry condemnations from Netanyahu and other Israeli politicians.

The prime minister accused the court of anti-Semitism and vowed not to be deterred from defending Israel.

“The State of Israel challenges the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and the legitimacy of the arrest warrants issued,” Netanyahu’s office said.

“If the Court denies this request, it will further demonstrate to Israel’s friends in the United States and around the world how biased the International Criminal Court is against the State of Israel,” it added.

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif. Israel said in early August that it had killed Deif in an airstrike in southern Gaza in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death.

The court said on November 21 that it had found “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bore “criminal responsibility” for the war crime of starvation as a method of war, as well as for the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhuman crimes . actions.

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