"Israel" announced on Wednesday that it will appeal the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Security Minister Yoav Gallant.

Netanyahu had earlier condemned the warrants, calling them anti-Semitic.

"Israel challenges the jurisdiction of the ICC and the legitimacy of the arrest warrants," a statement by the Israeli premier's office read.

It added that "if the court rejects 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."

In that context, it is important to note that "Israel" has requested that the ICC suspend the warrants until the appeal is resolved. 

The ICC has not yet commented on the appeal, with spokesman Fadi el-Abdallah noting that the judges will decide on any appeal requests.

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Experts urge full compliance with Netanyahu, Gallant ICC warrants

Experts and United Nations rapporteurs advocated for full compliance with the arrest warrants the International Criminal Court issued for Netanyahu and Gallant. 

In a joint statement, the experts and UN officials declared that compliance with the warrants marks a significant step toward "accountability and justice" and could help save lives, clarifying that it offered "hope for ending decades of impunity for long-standing serious violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)."

“The protracted lack of accountability, especially of the State of Israel, has been an enabling factor to the increasing and untenable violence in the region, affecting the lives and futures of both Palestinians and Israelis,” the statement further read. 

The experts emphasized that evidence of grave international law violations against civilian populations has been extensively gathered and documented since October 7, 2023, stressing that these acts, often amounting to international crimes, must cease immediately and must not go unpunished.

The 44 signatories include Morris Tidball-Binz, Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary, or arbitrary executions; Francesca Albanese, Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian Territory occupied since 1967; and Ashwani K. P., Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia, and related intolerance.

While welcoming the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision, the experts reminded states bound to the court of their legal and moral duty to uphold international law and hold war criminals accountable. They stressed that governments bear the responsibility to enforce arrest warrants, noting that compliance is essential to address long-standing impunity, prevent further grave crimes in the OPT and Israel, and ensure justice for victims.

The statement lastly concluded with the fundamental right of victims and their families to full and meaningful reparations, urging all parties to respect these rights, emphasizing the necessity for the ICC to operate without interference or undue pressure to fulfill its mandate effectively.

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