Germany says ICC warrant requests for both Israeli, Hamas leaders give ‘false impression of equivalence’

BERLIN, Germany — Germany says the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court’s application for arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders on suspicion of war crimes creates a “false impression of equivalence.”

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan earlier today made a request to the court for warrants to be issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as senior Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif.

“The simultaneous application for arrest warrants against the Hamas leaders on the one hand and the two Israeli officials on the other has given the false impression of equivalence,” a spokesman for the German foreign ministry says in a statement.

Hamas perpetrated a “barbaric massacre” with its October 7 massacre in southern Israel communities, the spokesman says.

“Hamas continues to hold Israeli hostages in unspeakable conditions, attacks Israel with rockets, and uses Gaza’s civilian population as human shields,” he adds.

“The Israeli government has the right and duty to protect and defend its people from this,” the spokesman states.

In this context, however, it was “clear that international humanitarian law with all its obligations applies,” the German spokesman says.

Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.