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Borrell reacts to call to arrest Israeli PM

"All states that have ratified the ICC statutes are bound to execute the Court’s decisions," the top EU diplomat said
Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/TASS
Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell
© Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs/TASS

BRUSSELS, May 21. /TASS/. Top EU diplomat Josep Borrell commented on the call for the International Criminal Court to issues arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Galant and three Hamas leaders by saying all ICC member countries should comply with its decisions.

"I take note of the decision of the ICC prosecutor to apply for warrants of arrest before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court against Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, Ismail Haniyeh, Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant," he said on X. "All states that have ratified the ICC statutes are bound to execute the Court’s decisions."

"The mandate of the ICC, as an independent international institution, is to prosecute the most serious crimes under international law," Borrell went on to say.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested the warrants on May 20. He said that based on the evidence at hand, the prosecution has reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Galant bear responsibility for the war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza from at least October 8, 2023.