'Israel' asked 25 countries to oppose arrest warrants for Netanyahu

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Israeli media
1 Jul 2024 14:31
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'Israel' requested 25 countries to oppose ICC arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant, aiming to sway the court's decision.

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Amnesty International protesters hold signs pointing to the International Criminal Court along the route to the opening of a new National Holocaust Museum in Amsterdam, Netherlands, on March 10, 2024. (AP)

"Israel" requested 25 countries to provide an opinion against the ICC prosecutor's request to issue arrest warrants against Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant, according to a report published by Walla.

The site explained that Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz sent letters to 25 foreign ministers around the world, asking them to "join Britain in submitting a legal opinion to the International Criminal Court in The Hague against the Prosecutor General's request to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant."

Walla also quoted senior officials in the Israeli occupation's ministry as saying that "if these countries, or even some of them, send such a legal opinion to the court in The Hague, the judges may be convinced that there is no chance of responding to the Prosecutor General's request."

ICC must be allowed to work ‘without intimidation’, say 93 members

The International Criminal Court (ICC) must be allowed to conduct its work "without intimidation", stressed a joint statement issued earlier, in mid-June, by 93 states aimed at reinforcing support for the judicial body, The Guardian reported.

The large group of ICC member states pledged to defend the institution and "preserve its integrity from any political interference and pressure against the court, its officials and those cooperating with it."

The move comes after revelations by The Guardian exposed efforts by "Israel" and its spy agencies to undermine, influence, and intimidate the ICC as part of a nine-year campaign of surveillance and espionage.

The statement also comes following recent warnings from the ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who confirmed that the court has faced "several forms of threats" and hostile intelligence activities intended to interfere with and improperly influence his work.

Khan said last month that he was seeking arrest warrants against Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Security Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammad Deif, prompting fierce responses from "Israel" and its allies.