South Africa: ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas Leaders - Reactions

Matthew Hirsch/GroundUp
About 100 people gathered outside the Western Cape High Court on Thursday to express support for South Africa’s legal team at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Netherlands. Some of the protesters included lawyers outside the Western Cape High Court on Thursday.
20 May 2024
Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
analysis By Victoria O'regan and Peter Fabricius

Pretoria has welcomed the decision by the International Criminal Court prosecutor to request arrest warrants for Hamas' and Israel's leaders -- a request that has enraged both Hamas and Israel.

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan on Monday said he had applied for arrest warrants for Hamas' top brass, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the ongoing war between the two enemies.

His announcement has been hailed as a "massive step in terms of accountability in relation to the conflict in Palestine". Pretoria has long demanded ICC indictments against Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders, suspecting they were being shielded by the US in particular.

On Monday night, the Presidency welcomed the ICC announcement.

"The law must be applied equally to all in order to uphold the international rule of law, ensure accountability for those that commit heinous crimes and protect the rights of victims," Presidency spokesperson Vincent Magwenya said.

In a statement, Khan said he was filing applications for arrest warrants before Pre-Trial Chamber 1 for Hamas' chief in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar; the commander of its military wing, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri; and the organisation's political bureau leader, Ismail Haniyeh.

He said he was also asking the judges for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

The warrants of arrest are for war crimes and...

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