By Lucy Adautin
The South African presidency has expressed approval of the recent announcement by the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, who has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three senior Hamas leaders on charges of alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
South Africa, a staunch advocate for Palestinian rights, had recently filed a genocide case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a charge Israel denies.
The ICC’s move aligns with South Africa’s position on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, reinforcing its commitment to international justice.
Representatives of both Israeli and Hamas have forcefully rejected the allegations. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu condemned the ICC prosecutor’s decision as a “complete distortion of reality,” asserting:
“As Prime Minister of Israel, I reject with disgust the Hague prosecutor’s comparison between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas. This is a complete distortion of reality.”
The United States also criticized the ICC’s decision. President Joe Biden called it “outrageous,” emphasizing that there is “no equivalence” between Israel and Hamas.
The US State Department echoed this, stating that the ICC lacks jurisdiction as Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute, which established the court.
“This decision does nothing to help and could jeopardize ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement that would get hostages out of Gaza and surge humanitarian assistance in,” State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller cautioned.
The news prompted mixed reactions in Israel. In Tel Aviv, a city that has seen large protests demanding more action from the Netanyahu administration to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas, some residents expressed disbelief and frustration at the perceived equivalence between Israel and Hamas.
Inbar Goldstein, a Tel Aviv resident, voiced her confusion and dismay saying “I don’t understand in what world we are living in where there is symmetry between leaders of a terror organization who committed mass slaughter to heads of state who were democratically elected.”
In Gaza, the response was more subdued. Sami Abu Zeid, a displaced resident from Gaza City, expressed a desire for decisive international resolutions that address core issues, highlighting the suffering of ordinary Palestinians unaffiliated with Hamas or Islamic Jihad saying, “We want international resolutions that are decisive. Decisive so that they solve problems. We are the victims although we have nothing to do with Israel or Hamas. We are not Hamas or Islamic Jihad.”
ICC judges will now review the evidence presented by Prosecutor Karim Khan to determine whether arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and the Hamas leaders can be issued.
