Global community, EU 'cannot undermine International Criminal Court': EU foreign policy chief

By Nur Asena Erturk

ANKARA (AA) – The international community and the European Union “cannot undermine the International Criminal Court,” the EU foreign policy chief said on Thursday in the wake of the ICC issuing arrest warrants for Israel’s premier and former defense minister.

Josep Borrell, before attending a meeting of Global Alliance for the Implementation of the Two-State Solution in Brussels, told reporters that the international community, particularly the EU, “cannot undermine the International Criminal Court.”

The ICC, in a landmark move last week, issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

While some countries announced they would implement the court decision if the Israeli officials set foot on their territory, others were less clear, and one said there would be no arrests.

Supporting the court “is the only way of having global justice. It is only way to implement accountability. If the Europeans do not support fully (the) international court without procrastination, then the International Criminal Court will not work,” Borrell warned.

Also ahead of the meeting, Belgium’s Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib reiterated the need for a “negotiated diplomatic solution, a political solution” in the Middle East.

“It is time to go beyond partisan interests, beyond division ... and to advance toward the general interest of the whole region,” she said.

She also voiced hope that the cease-fire in Lebanon would "inspire" and set an example for peace in Gaza, which is now facing a second year of a brutal Israeli offensive that has killed over 44,000 people.

The cease-fire deal between Israel and Lebanon took effect early Wednesday to end more than 14 months of fighting between the Israeli army and Hezbollah.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a Hamas attack in October last year, killing nearly 44,300 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Last week, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.