UN experts urge ‘full compliance’ with Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants
UN human rights experts have urged full compliance with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the case of arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his ousted war minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza.
In a joint statement released on Tuesday, the experts reminded states of their legal and moral obligation to uphold international law and punish war criminals.
“The power to enforce these arrest warrants rests with governments. Compliance with the arrest warrants is critical to overcome long-standing impunity, benefiting perpetrators, and to end grave crimes in the OPT and Israel.”
The forty-four signatories, which include UN rapporteurs and other experts, said the arrest warrants “can help save lives” and must be respected and fully complied with.
"The ICC's decision marks a historic step towards justice and accountability, offering hope for ending decades of impunity for long-standing serious violations of international law in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)," the experts said.
Israel's protracted lack of accountability has been an enabling factor to the increasing and untenable violence in the region, they said.
“The protracted lack of accountability, especially of Israel, has been an enabling factor to the increasing and untenable violence in the region, affecting the lives and futures of both Palestinians and Israelis.”
“Since 7 October 2023, and the military assault on Gaza and the rest of the OPT, the independent experts have received and documented evidence of grave violations of international law committed against civilian populations.”
“These violations, often amounting to international crimes, must stop immediately and cannot go unpunished.”
The experts said the ICC needs to be able to carry out its work without external meddling.
“In order to guarantee the rights of victims and their families, it is imperative that the ICC be able to carry out their work without interference or other undue pressure.”
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on November 21.
The duo is charged with committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
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