By Amy Musgrave
The South African government has welcomed the International Criminal Court’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif of Hamas.
“These actions mark a significant step towards justice for crimes against humanity and war crimes in Palestine,” the International Relations and Cooperation Department said on Thursday.
“South Africa reaffirms its commitment to international law and urges all state parties to act in accordance with their obligations in the Rome Statute. We call on the global community to uphold the rule of law and ensure accountability for human rights violations.”
The ICC issued the warrants earlier in the day.
It has accused them of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza, and the October 2023 attacks that triggered Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory.
This means that Netanyahu, his former defence minister and the others, are now internationally wanted suspects.
However, it remains to be seen what it means in practical terms because Israel is not a member of the ICC, neither is its major ally, the US.
Unlike South Africa, Netanyahu, Hamas and US President Joe Biden have condemned the warrants of arrest.
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