SA applauds ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif

The ICC pre-trial chamber confirmed the arrest warrant in a statement on Thursday

The three face charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza war.

The government has been a fierce critic of Netanyahu and has previously urged the ICC to issue an arrest warrant for him.

South Africa, alongside Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti, also wrote to the ICC, asking it to investigate Israel for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

It also recalled its ambassador and other diplomatic staff from Israel in protest against the ongoing conflict in Gaza. 

South Africa was also given an opportunity to present its case against the State of Israel in the International Court of Justice at the Hague  - in which it claims Israel is committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.

Spokesperson for the International Relations Ministry, Chrispin Phiri, reaffirmed the country's commitment to international law.

"These actions mark a significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine,” he said.

“South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law and urges all state parties to act in accordance with their obligations in the  Rome Statute. We call on the global community to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations," said Phiri.

In a statement, the ICC pre-trial chamber said there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant intentionally deprived Gaza's civilian population of essential items necessary for survival.

This includes food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity.

The chamber also found reasonable grounds to hold Netanyahu and Gallant criminally responsible as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally targeting the civilian population.

 "The arrest warrants are classified as ‘secret’ in order to protect witnesses and to safeguard the conduct of the investigations,” said the court's spokesperson, Fadi El Abdallah.

“However, the chamber decided to release the information below since conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing.

“Moreover, the chamber considers it to be in the interest of victims and their families that they are made aware of the warrants’ existence.

“At the outset, the chamber considered that the alleged conduct of Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant falls within the jurisdiction of the court.”

Since Hamas conducted its October 7, 2023 attack, the deadliest in Israeli history, Israel has been fighting a war in Gaza, which the militant group rules.

The war was triggered by the assault on Israel by Hamas militants, a stunning cross-border raid that resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.

The Hamas government's health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Thursday that at least 44,056 people had been killed in more than 13 months of war.

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