Netanyahu fears issuance of arrest warrants against him

WORLD, April 19 (YPA) – Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu fears that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague may issue arrest warrants against him and other officials due to violations during the aggression on Gaza, Israeli Channel 12 reported on Thursday.

The channel said that three ministers and several government legal experts held an ’emergency discussion” at the Prime Minister’s Office on Tuesday regarding how to fend off the feared imminent issuing of such arrest warrants.

The meeting was convened after information reached Jerusalem indicating that such warrants could be issued in the near future, it added.

The highest political and legal elite in Israel were present at the discussion, according to the channel.

It pointed out that the background to the issuance of international arrest warrants is the war in Gaza.

The channel confirmed that Netanyahu asked the Foreign Ministers of Britain and Germany during their visits to Israel to intervene to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court.

It clarified that Tel Aviv has received information and messages indicating the possibility of issuing such warrants could be issued by the end of next month.

It reported that the consultations raised the issue of humanitarian crisis in Gaza Strip, and several countries’ statements that Israel violates international law, as well as treatment of civilian populations in Gaza in a manner that violates the Fourth Geneva Convention.

At the end of the discussion, a decision was made to attempt to take urgent action at the last minute before the International Criminal Court in The Hague and also before influential political parties, in order to prevent the issuance of arrest warrants.

E.M