Dutch parliament backs motion to enforce ICC arrest warrant for Israeli premier

​​​​​​​By Selman Aksunger

HAGUE, Netherlands (AA) - The Dutch parliament approved a motion Tuesday that urges the enforcement of an International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense chief Yoav Gallant.

The motion, introduced during the 2025 budget discussions for the Foreign Ministry, was tabled by opposition parliamentarian Kati Piri and five other lawmakers.

It urged the government to advocate for the implementation of the arrest warrant by all member states and comply with the decision. It demands the immediate suspension of non-urgent communications with Netanyahu.

Coalition members of the far-right Party for Freedom, led by Geert Wilders, and the Farmer-Citizen Movement, opposed the motion, which passed with a majority of votes.

A separate motion was also passed that urged the Netherlands to support EU sanctions against Yossi Dagan, chairman of Shomron Regional Council, a body responsible for a block of settlements in the occupied West Bank. Dagan recently invited Wilders to attend a program at an illegal settlement in December.

The ICC last week announced the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024" in the Gaza Strip.