Israel to appeal ICC arrest warrants over war in Gaza

JERUSALEM — Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office says Israel plans to appeal the International Criminal Court’s recent decision to issue arrest warrants against him and his former defense minister over alleged crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The court last week issued the arrest warrants, accusing Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant of war crimes for actions during Israel’s war in Gaza.

Both men have condemned the decision and accused the court of anti-Israeli bias and undermining Israel’s right to self-defense.

Netanyahu said he discussed the matter Wednesday with Sen. Lindsey Graham, R-S.C., who is leading an effort in Congress to impose sanctions against the court and countries cooperating with it.

Netanyahu’s office said Israel also informed the ICC on Wednesday of “its intention to appeal to the court along with a demand to delay implementation of the arrest warrants.” It said the appeal would argue the warrants lacked any “legal or factual basis.”

Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC, and the court does not have jurisdiction to make arrests on Israeli territory. But both men could be subject to arrest if they enter any of the court’s member states, which include allies like the United Kingdom, France and Italy.

France said Wednesday that it intends to continue to work in close collaboration with Netanyahu, despite the arrest warrant issued for him by the world’s top war crimes court.

Prime Minister Michel Barnier told parliament this week that France would “rigorously” respect its obligations under international law, a position echoed again by France’s foreign minister in a broadcast interview Wednesday morning.

But in a subsequent written statement, the French Foreign Ministry argued that Netanyahu and others affected benefit from immunity because Israel is not a member of the court. The ministry said this would be “taken into consideration if the ICC was to ask us for their arrest and handing over.”

Its statement cited “the historic friendship that links France and Israel” and described them as “two democracies committed to the rule of law and respect for professional and independent justice.”

Meanwhile, Hamas says it’s ready to cooperate with any effort to bring about a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, after Israel and the Lebanese terrorist group Hezbollah reached a truce to end months of fighting.