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.

 



US Urges Baghdad, Erbil to Carry Out ‘Constructive Dialogue’

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
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US Urges Baghdad, Erbil to Carry Out ‘Constructive Dialogue’

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo
FILE PHOTO: An aerial view of Baghdad, Iraq, August 11, 2021. REUTERS/Thaier Al-Sudani/File Photo

The United States has urged Baghdad and Erbil “to resolve their issues through constructive dialogue consistent with their constitutional responsibilities” after rising tension over the payment of salaries in the Kurdistan region.

Tensions have escalated between Iraq’s central government in Baghdad and the semiautonomous Kurdish region in the country’s north in a long-running dispute over the sharing of oil revenues.

The central government has accused the Kurdish regional authorities of making illegal deals and facilitating oil smuggling. Baghdad cut off funding for public sector salaries in the Kurdish region ahead of the Eid al-Adha holiday. Kurdish authorities called the move “collective punishment” and threatened to retaliate.

“Resolving the salaries issue quickly sends a signal that Iraq is creating an environment in which US companies would want to invest,” US State Department spokeswoman Tammy Bruce said Tuesday.

“Successful resolution would also send a positive signal on broader cooperation for the benefit of all Iraqis, such as reopening the Iraq-Türkiye pipeline and additional energy exploration, including with US companies,” Bruce said.

“US support for a strong and resilient Iraqi Kurdistan Region remains a crucial element of our relationship with Iraq,” she added.

Her remarks, which were seen as supportive of Baghdad, came as Sulaymaniyah - a city in the east of the Kurdistan Region – witnessed demonstrations on Wednesday over the delay in the payment of public sector salaries.

Employees in several departments announced an open-ended strike, saying they will not return to work unless the authorities pay them their wages.

The employees called on Erbil and the Baghdad government to assume their legal and humanitarian responsibilities, saying their living conditions require action.