The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. In a statement on Thursday, the Hage-based body for alleged war crimes in Gaza. The three are now at risk of arrest if they travel to any of the 124 countries that signed the Rome statute establishing the court.
Reacting to the warrant, Netanyahu's office said the ICC decision was 'anti-semitic' and he will 'not yield to pressure, will not be deterred'. US Sen Tom Cotton in a tweet slammed prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC, who sought the charges against the three men in May.
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"The ICC is a kangaroo court and Karim Khan is a deranged fanatic. Woe to him and anyone who tries to enforce these outlaw warrants. Let me give them all a friendly reminder: the American law on the ICC is known as The Hague Invasion Act for a reason. Think about it," Cotton said on X, platform formerly known as Twitter.
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Khan himself is facing an ICC investigation over alleged sexual misconduct. The tribunal earlier this month confirmed that it will be launching an external probe into its chief prosecutor. The allegations were raised last month and were subsequently reported to the court’s governing body.
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Karim Khan, who has been leading investigations on Netanyahu and other Israeli officials, initially requested an internal investigation. The ICC noted that Khan’s legal team had previously claimed the misconduct allegations were part of a misinformation campaign against his office.