Leaders of countries and different global organizations welcomed the International Criminal Court's groundbreaking decision to issue arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the country's former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for committing genocide in the Gaza Strip, where almost 44,000 Palestinians were killed in 13 months.
The top EU diplomat hailed the move, saying that the ICC's decision is not political and must be respected.
In a landmark move, the court in the Hague announced earlier it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over war crimes it accuses them of carrying out in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.
"It is not a political decision ... and the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented," Josep Borrell told a joint news conference with Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in Amman Thursday.
Borrell stressed that the decision was "binding," and that all parties of the court, "which include all members of the European Union," must implement the decision.
The court said it "found reasonable grounds" to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts."
It also believes that both "bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population."
France will continue supporting the International Criminal Court's actions against Israel, the French Foreign Ministry spokesperson said Thursday.
The court guarantees "international stability” and must be able to act "in all situations independently and impartially,” Christophe Lemoine told a news conference in Paris.
"We support the court prosecutor’s action who acts in all independence ... and the fight against impunity is our priority. We bring continued support to the ICC’s action, our reaction will align with those principles,” he added.
Lemoine, however, noted that the warrants topic was "legally complex,” and avoided saying whether France would implement the warrants.
Belgium's deputy prime minister on Thursday called on Europe to comply with and uphold the U.N. top court's new arrest warrants.
"Europe must comply. Impose economic sanctions, suspend the Association Agreement with Israel and uphold these arrest warrants," Petra de Sutter said on X.
"War crimes and crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished," she added.
Human Rights Watch (HRW) on Thursday described the International Criminal Court's (ICC) issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as an "important" step toward ensuring justice in the Palestine-Israel conflict.
Balkees Jarrah, HRW's associate international justice director, welcomed the decision, saying it challenges the notion that some individuals are beyond accountability.
"The ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli leaders and a Hamas official break through the perception that certain individuals are beyond the reach of the law," she said in a statement.
Jarrah called on the international community to back the ICC in fulfilling its mandate, emphasizing the need for impartial support for justice.
"Whether the ICC can effectively deliver on its mandate will depend on governments' willingness to support justice no matter where abuses are committed and by whom," she added.
She urged global leaders to take the warrants as an opportunity to address atrocities in the region and secure justice for all victims in Palestine and Israel.
Spain's second Vice-President and Labor Minister Yolando Diaz welcomed the International Criminal Court's decision to issue arrest warrants, saying Madrid sides with justice.
"Always on the side of justice and international law," Diaz said on X and added: "The genocide of the Palestinian people cannot go unpunished."
Her remarks came after the Hague court's Pre-Trial Chamber I said it "issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest."
In so doing, it also unanimously rejected Israel's challenges to jurisdiction under articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute.
On their alleged crimes, the court said it "found reasonable grounds" to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant "each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts."
South Africa on Thursday said that the arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Netanyahu and Gallant is a "significant step toward justice for crimes against humanity, and war crimes in Palestine."
"These actions mark a significant step toward justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine," said Chrispin Phiri, spokesman for South Africa's Department of International Relations and Cooperation.
The ICC said the arrest warrants were issued over crimes against humanity, war crimes, including murder, starvation as well as persecution committed by the Israeli leaders.
South Africa called on the global community to "uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations," said Phiri.
Notably, South Africa has also dragged Israel to the International Court of Justice over genocide in Gaza, since Tel Aviv launched its aerial and ground bombardment of the Palestinian-besieged coastal enclave last year on Oct. 07.
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.
Tel Aviv has also expanded its war on Lebanon and has also periodically hit Iran and Syria.
