ICC chief prosecutor appeals to member states to comply with arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

MADRID 21 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, appealed this Thursday to the member states to comply with the arrest warrants against the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and his former head of Defense, Yoav Gallant, as well as as against leaders of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas).

“I appeal to all Member States to fulfill their commitment under the Rome Statute by respecting and complying with these court orders. We count on your cooperation in this case, as well as in all others under the court’s jurisdiction,” he said. in a statement sent by the organization.

Likewise, he has urged collaboration with States that are not part of the organization “to achieve accountability and defend International Law”, while he has assured that he will cooperate with interested parties – namely, Israel and Palestine – to ” ensure” that his office fulfills its mandate.

Khan has highlighted that the requests for the arrest warrants, issued last May, were presented “after an independent investigation” and on the basis of “objective and verifiable evidence through a forensic process.”

“The decision of the independent judges of the International Criminal Court confirms that Humanitarian Law must be respected in all circumstances through fair and impartial judicial processes,” the prosecutor stressed.

Khan has also said that attention “must focus on the victims” of crimes in Israel and Palestine. “In my own meetings with the victims and families of the kibbutz hostages, and the victims of Gaza who have lost so many loved ones, I have stressed that the law is there for everyone,” he added.

The attorney general recalled that his office continues to “independently and impartially” investigate the situation in Palestine. “We are advancing additional lines of investigation in areas under the court’s jurisdiction that include Gaza and the West Bank, as well as East Jerusalem,” he noted.

“I am deeply concerned by reports of an escalation of violence, a further reduction in humanitarian access and a continued expansion of allegations of international crimes in Gaza and the West Bank,” he concluded.