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TEHRAN- The International Criminal Court\u2019s decision to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli leaders has been strongly welcomed by many but rejected in some corners.<\/p>\n
As Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister for War Yoav Gallant are now officially wanted as war criminals, international reactions have been pouring in over the decision.<\/p>\n
Here are some of those reactions from around the world:<\/p>\n
PALESTINE<\/strong><\/p>\n In the Gaza Strip, where Netanyahu and Gallant have been accused of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity, Hamas has welcomed the move by the ICC.<\/p>\n The resistance movement, which is fighting off a U.S.-backed genocidal Israeli war has called on the ICC to extend the warrants to all Israeli leaders complicit in war crimes.<\/p>\n \u201cWe call on the International Criminal Court to expand the scope of accountability to all criminal occupation leaders,\u201d Hamas emphasized.<\/p>\n In a statement, Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim added, \u201c[It\u2019s] an important step towards justice and can lead to redress for the victims in general, but it remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world.\u201d<\/p>\n Asked by\u00a0AFP\u00a0about Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif\u2019s arrest warrant, the third person, whom the ICC named a Hamas official, said there was \u201cno comparison between the criminal occupier and the victim\u201d.<\/p>\n The West Bank-based Palestinian Authority also welcomed the decision, urging all members of the international court to implement it.<\/p>\n SOUTH AFRICA<\/strong><\/p>\n In a statement, the South African government welcomed the warrants as a \u201csignificant step\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cThese actions mark a significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine.<\/p>\n South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law and urges all state parties to act in accordance with their obligations in the Rome Statute.<\/p>\n We call on the global community to uphold the rule of law,\u201d the government said.<\/p>\n COLOMBIA<\/strong><\/p>\n Colombia\u2019s reaction was among the strongest in Latin America. President Gustavo Petro welcomed the decision as \u201clogical,\u201d saying \u201cNetanyahu is a genocidal maniac.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe ruling must be obeyed. If Biden disregards this order, he is simply leading the world into barbarism. Western Europe must regain its independence in international politics and act to enforce the court\u2019s ruling,\u201d Petro wrote in a post on social media.<\/p>\n ARGENTINA<\/strong><\/p>\n President Javier Milei denounced the decision. In a social media post, he wrote that his government \u201cdeclares its deep disagreement\u201d with the ICC.<\/p>\n JORDAN<\/strong><\/p>\n Jordan\u2019s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the decision must be implemented, adding that Palestinians deserved justice over Israeli \u201cwar crimes\u201d in Gaza.<\/p>\n TURKEY<\/strong><\/p>\n The ICC\u2019s decision \u201cis a belated but positive decision to stop the bloodshed and put an end to the genocide in Palestine,\u201d Turkish Justice Minister Yilmaz Tunc said.<\/p>\n IRAN<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cThe warrants are very important, historic, and courageous,\u201d\u00a0Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi\u00a0said.<\/p>\n \u201cThey mark a major victory for the oppressed Palestinian nation, the Axis of Resistance as well as their supporters, and a defeat for the Zionist regime and its sponsors. From such a viewpoint, this ruling is very significant,\u201d Gharibabadi underlined.<\/p>\n \u201cThe warrants show that the International Criminal Court has concluded that the criminal Zionist regime has perpetrated the crimes, and an investigation into the offenses, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, etc., falls within the jurisdiction of the court. These are key issues,\u201d the Iranian diplomat pointed out.<\/p>\n CHINA<\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cChina hopes the ICC will uphold an objective and just position (and) exercise its powers in accordance with the law,\u201d said Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian.<\/p>\n EUROPEAN UNION<\/strong><\/p>\n The EU\u2019s foreign policy chief Josep Borrell stated the warrants were \u201cnot political\u201d and should be respected by all member states.<\/p>\n \u201cThe tragedy in Gaza has to stop,\u201d he added.<\/p>\n Despite his remarks, some EU members offered conflicting statements.<\/p>\n IRELAND<\/strong><\/p>\n Prime Minister Simon Harris\u00a0said Ireland would be prepared to arrest Netanyahu if he landed on Irish territory.<\/p>\n \u201cYes absolutely. We support international courts and we apply their warrants,\u201d Harris told national broadcaster RTE, calling the warrants \u201ca significant step\u201d.<\/p>\n Also, the Department of Foreign Affairs said on its website, \u201cThere are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged crimes were committed by these individuals.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIreland is a strong supporter of the ICC and calls on all States to respect its independence and impartiality, with no attempts made to undermine the court.\u201d<\/p>\n THE NETHERLANDS<\/strong><\/p>\n Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp told the Dutch parliament the Netherlands would respect the decision and arrest Netanyahu if he set foot on Dutch soil.<\/p>\n The Netherlands will also not engage in\u00a0any\u00a0\u201cnon-essential\u201d contacts with Netanyahu and Gallant, Veldkamp said.<\/p>\n SWITZERLAND<\/strong><\/p>\n The Swiss Federal Office of Justice stated its obligation to cooperate with the ICC under the Rome Statute, pledging to arrest and extradite Netanyahu or Gallant if they entered Swiss territory.<\/p>\n SPAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n Spain\u2019s second Vice-President and Labor Minister, Yolando Diaz, welcomed the decision.<\/p>\n \u201cAlways on the side of justice and international law,\u201d Diaz wrote in a social media post, adding, \u201cThe genocide of the Palestinian people cannot go unpunished.\u201d<\/p>\n ITALY<\/strong><\/p>\n Defense Minister Guido Crosetto acknowledged if Netanyahu or Gallant \u201cwere to come to Italy, we would have to arrest them.\u201d<\/p>\n However, Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani noted, \u201cWe will evaluate together with our allies what to do and how to interpret this decision.\u201d<\/p>\n FRANCE<\/strong><\/p>\n The French Foreign Ministry appeared to play down the ICC decision as just a formalization of an accusation.<\/p>\n A spokesman refused to say whether France would arrest Netanyahu if he entered French territory, claiming the matter was \u201clegally complex\u201d.<\/p>\n GERMANY<\/strong><\/p>\n A government spokesperson contradicted the EU foreign policy chief, indicating that Germany would not arrest Netanyahu if he traveled to the country.<\/p>\n The spokesperson said, \u201cWe have a unique relationship and a great responsibility to Israel\u201d.<\/p>\n HUNGARY<\/strong><\/p>\n Another EU member, Hungary\u2019s Foreign Minister, Peter Szijjarto, condemned the decision as \u201cabsurd\u201d.<\/p>\n Prime Minister Viktor Orban went a step further, saying he would invite Netanyahu to Hungary and would guarantee the arrest warrant would \u201cnot be observed.\u201d<\/p>\n BRITAIN<\/strong><\/p>\n The British government has refused to say if Netanyahu would be arrested if he landed on British soil, despite Britain being a member of the ICC and is legally obliged to arrest him.<\/p>\n UNITED STATES<\/strong><\/p>\n Israel\u2019s staunchest ally strongly condemned the ICC decision.<\/p>\n President Joe Biden called it \u201coutrageous\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWhatever the ICC might imply \u2026 We will always stand with Israel,\u201d Biden said.<\/p>\n Other senior American officials echoed those words.<\/p>\n The Biden administration strongly welcomed and rushed the ICC\u2019s arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin. Washington praised the Court\u2019s legal process.<\/p>\n This time, the US threatened the ICC if it went ahead with issuing arrest warrants for Israeli officials and has warned the court of consequences that include sanctions.<\/p>\n ISRAEL\u00a0<\/strong><\/p>\n In a social media post, Netanyahu criticized the ICC. He condemned the arrest warrants and described them as a \u201cdark day\u201d.<\/p>\n Former War Minister Gallant echoed those words while President Isaac Herzog claimed that the ICC\u2019s decision sided with \u201cterrorism and evil\u201d and has turned the international justice system into a \u201chuman shield\u201d for Hamas.<\/p>\n Foreign Minister Gideon Saar also stated that the\u00a0ICC\u00a0had \u201clost all legitimacy\u201d by issuing what he described as \u201cabsurd orders without authority.\u201d<\/p>\n HUMAN RIGHTS GROUPS<\/strong><\/p>\n All international human rights groups have strongly welcomed the ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant.<\/p>\n Human Rights Watch said the warrants \u201cbreak through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law. This is all the more important given the brazen attempts to obstruct the course of justice at the court.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cNetanyahu is now officially a wanted man,\u201d said Amnesty International\u2019s Secretary General Agnes Callamard. \u201cICC member states and the whole international community must stop at nothing until these individuals are brought to trial before the ICC\u2019s independent and impartial judges.\u201d<\/p>\n Others have described the move as the most momentous decision in the ICC\u2019s 22-year mandate for a genocide in Gaza that history will neither forget nor forgive.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n