From the Liveblog of
Friday, January 17, 2025
ICC prosecutor defends war crimes warrant for Netanyahu, says Israel made ‘no real effort’ to probe allegations
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THE HAGUE (Reuters) – International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan defends his decision to bring war crimes allegations against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying Israel has made “no real effort” to investigate the allegations itself.
In an interview with Reuters, he stands by his decision over the arrest warrant despite a vote last week by the US House of Representatives to sanction the ICC in protest, a move he describes as “unwanted and unwelcome.”
ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant last November for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict.
The Prime Minister’s Office does not immediately respond to a request for comment on Khan’s remarks to Reuters.
Israel has rejected the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes. The United States is also not a member of the ICC and Washington has criticized the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
“We’re here as a court of last resort and… as we speak right now, we haven’t seen any real effort by the State of Israel to take action that would meet the established jurisprudence, which is investigations regarding the same suspects for the same conduct,” Khan tells Reuters.
“That can change and I hope it does,” he says in the interview that was conducted yesterday, as a hostage-ceasefire deal was signed in Doha by Israel and Hamas.
The Times of Israel Community.