MADRID 22 Nov. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Secretary General of the UN, António Guterres, expressed this Thursday his support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after it issued arrest warrants against the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu, and the previous head of Defense, Yoav Gallant, for the alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated within the framework of the military offensive launched more than a year ago on the Gaza Strip.
“Respect the work of the International Criminal Court and respect its independence,” said Guterres’ spokesman, Stéphane Dujarric, in a press conference when asked about the arrest warrants.
The court in The Hague, which has rejected the appeals presented by Israel and has ruled that it has jurisdiction in the case, believes that there is evidence that both Netanyahu and Gallant knowingly sought to leave the Gazan population without elements “indispensable for their survival.” and block the entry of aid, also hindering the work of humanitarian organizations.
The judges believe Netanyahu and Gallant may be “criminally responsible” for using starvation as a method of warfare, as well as for murders, other inhumane acts and persecution that would fall under the category of crimes against humanity. He also reproaches them that indiscriminate attacks against the civilian population may have been committed under their command.
The court has also ordered the arrest of the head of the military wing of Hamas, Mohamed Diab al Masri, known as ‘Abú Deif’, after other leaders of the Islamist group previously identified, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniye, have lost their lives in the last months in Israeli operations. Israel has presumed him dead, although the group has not officially confirmed this.