Israeli cabinet member responds to ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

Benny Gantz, a member of Israel’s war cabinet, has strongly criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s move to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant regarding Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Gantz stated, “The State of Israel is engaged in a just war in response to the heinous massacre carried out by terrorist group Hamas on October 7.” He emphasized that Israel conducts its military operations with a strict moral code, adheres to international law, and has an independent judiciary. Drawing comparisons between the leaders of a democratic state defending itself and those of a violent terror organization, he said, represents a severe distortion of justice and moral values.

He further asserted, “The prosecutor’s decision to apply for these arrest warrants is itself a historical crime that will be remembered for generations.”

The ICC charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, denying humanitarian relief supplies, and deliberately targeting civilians in conflict,” as stated by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour.