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ICC ‘Ready to Freeze’ Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant (Reuters)
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ICC ‘Ready to Freeze’ Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant (Reuters)
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant (Reuters)

Former Israeli Supreme Court president Aharon Barak said on Friday that the UN-backed International Criminal Court (ICC) is ready to freeze its arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant if a state commission of inquiry is formed to look into the October 7, 2023 events and the war that followed.
Barak represented Israel as an ad-hoc judge at the International Court of Justice for the genocide case that was brought against Netanyahu and Gallant by South Africa amid the war in Gaza.
In comments to several Hebrew media outlets, Barak said that a few days ago he addressed officials at the ICC and inquired about their position if a state commission of inquiry was formed in Israel.
The officials clearly said that in such a case, they will cancel their decision to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant and freeze the trial.
Barak, 89, said the Netanyahu-led government continues to undermine Israel's judicial system and harm its international status.
On November 21, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan withdrew his request for warrants for two other senior Hamas figures, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh, who have both since been killed.
The three arrest warrants were classified as “secret” to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of investigations.
However, the ICC Pre-Trial Chamber decided to release the information due to the continuation of the war and likely violations of international law, in particular the fact that hostages continue to be held in Gaza.
“The Chamber considers it is also in the interest of victims and their families to be aware of the warrant’s existence,” the Court said.
Also, the chamber rejected Israel’s challenges to jurisdiction and warrants of arrest for Netanyahu and Gallant. It considered that the alleged conduct of Netanyahu and Gallant falls within the jurisdiction of the Court in the situation extended to Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.
Netanyahu’s office described the ICC’s decision as “antisemitic.” Israel then urged what it called “nations of the civilized world” to refuse to implement any international criminal court arrest warrants.
The US rejected the ICC decision while Argentina and Hungary said they will not enforce the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

 

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Syria Is at a Crossroads: It Can Return to Violence or Transition to Peace, Says UN Envoy 

A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
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Syria Is at a Crossroads: It Can Return to Violence or Transition to Peace, Says UN Envoy 

A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)
A member of Syria's security forces mans a gun in the back of a truck during the funeral of three people killed in Israeli strikes a day earlier, in the southern town of Daraa on March 18, 2025. (AFP)

Three months following the overthrow of President Bashar al-Assad, Syria is at a crossroads, the top UN envoy for the country said Tuesday.

Geir Pedersen told the UN Security Council that Syria can return to violence or start an inclusive transition and end decades of conflict.

He said the road back to conflict, fragmentation and violations of Syrian sovereignty by external powers "must not come to pass." The other road, which would restore Syria’s sovereignty and regional security, is "viable," but "requires the right Syrian decisions" and international support, Pedersen said.

Syria’s civil war had gone on for 13 years when a lightning insurgency led by the Hayat Tahrir al-Sham group (HTS) overthrew Assad in December, ending his family’s more than 50-year rule.

Former HTS leader Ahmed al-Sharaa was announced as the country’s interim president after a meeting of armed groups that took part in the offensive.

Pedersen spoke weeks after clashes between Sharaa's security forces and armed groups loyal to Assad - sparked by an ambush by regime remnants on the security forces - spiraled into sectarian revenge attacks that killed scores of civilians, most of them Alawites, a minority sect to which Assad belongs. It was the worst violence since December.

Pedersen told the council that while the situation was "comparatively calmed" after several days, the UN continues to receive reports "of harassment and intimidation, including with heavy sectarian overtones."

He said the interim authorities announced an independent investigation. Pedersen said he stressed that it must be transparent, in line with international standards, and its findings made public.

The UN special envoy, who will be returning to Damascus shortly, highlighted several priority areas for action and attention.

The latest violence, he said, "laid bare the urgent need for credible and efficient accountability for crimes" committed over decades.

He said the UN and the international community will be watching whether the soon-to-be-announced transitional government and transitional legislative council reflect Syria’s diversity and include both men and women.

Pedersen said his team was consulted on a temporary constitution and gave advice on international best practices and norms. "Some of this was taken on board, some was not," he said.

In mid-March, Sharaa signed a temporary constitution that promises to protect the rights of all Syrians for five years during a transitional phase.

"Some Syrians have commended the effort to fill the constitutional vacuum, and noted the incorporation of international human rights norms," Pedersen said. "But others have expressed reservations about the non-transparent process of its drafting and the substance itself — particularly a very strong presidency with unclear checks and balances between state powers and ambiguity regarding the transition steps."

Pedersen also cited other issues that demand action, including dealing with armed groups and foreign fighters, and reviving the economy.