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Netanyahu's threat of ICC warrant points to collapse of world judicial system — president

Isaac Herzog pointed out that he found it unacceptable to compare Israeli political leaders with leaders of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, whom the ICC prosecutor also wants to arrest

TEL AVIV, May 20. /TASS/. The International Criminal Court (ICC) potentially issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant points to the possible collapse of the world judicial system in the near future, Israeli President Isaac Herzog said.

"The announcement of the prosecutor at the ICC is beyond outrageous, and shows the extent to which the international judicial system is in danger of collapsing," he wrote on his X page. "We expect all leaders in the free world to condemn outright this step and firmly reject it," Herzog added.

According to the Israeli president, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan's announcement that arrest warrants could be issued for Netanyahu and Galant is a "one-sided move represents a unilateral political step that emboldens terrorists around the world, and violates all the basic rules of the court."

Herzog pointed out that he found it unacceptable to compare Israeli political leaders with leaders of the radical Palestinian movement Hamas, whom the ICC prosecutor also wants to arrest. "Hamas’ leaders are oppressive dictators guilty of launching mass murder, mass rape, and mass kidnappings of men, women, children and babies. Any attempt to draw parallels between these atrocious terrorists and a democratically elected government of Israel - working to fulfill its duty to defend and protect its citizens entirely in adherence to the principles of international law - is outrageous and cannot be excepted by anyone," the president emphasized.

Earlier, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said he had appealed to the Pre-Trial Chamber to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant. The document said that based on the evidence gathered, the prosecution has reasonable grounds to believe that both "bear criminal responsibility for the <…> war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza Strip) from at least October 8, 2023."

The ICC Prosecutor's Office opened an investigation in the Palestinian territories in 2021. At the time, it was stated that the prosecution investigated possible war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip by Israeli forces, as well as by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. According to Prosecutor Karim Khan, alleged crimes committed during the escalation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which began on October 8, 2023, also fall within the mandate of the Prosecutor's Office.

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