Ireland welcomes ICC arrest warrant for Netanyahu, Gallant

By Aysu Bicer

LONDON (AA) - Irish Prime Minister, or the Taoiseach, Simon Harris described the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant as a "significant step" toward accountability for crimes committed during the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

In a landmark move, The Hague court on Thursday announced it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over war crimes in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

The warrants come as Israel’s genocidal offensive in Gaza recently entered its second year, having already killed some 44,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 103,000 others.

"The court points to reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant each bear criminal responsibility for crimes perpetrated in the war in Gaza, including the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts," he said.

“These charges could not be more serious,” the Taoiseach said, emphasizing Ireland’s longstanding position that international law must be upheld in all circumstances.

He reiterated that breaches of international law, including war crimes and crimes against humanity, demand full accountability.

He highlighted the urgent need for a cease-fire, the release of hostages, and the unrestricted delivery of humanitarian aid.

"The situation in Gaza could not be more desperate, is an affront to humanity and cannot be allowed to continue a moment longer," he added.

Ireland reaffirmed its respect for the ICC’s role in delivering justice and called on all parties to assist the court in its investigations.

The Israeli onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the territory amid an ongoing and deliberate blockade that has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.