France and Norway Back International Criminal Court’s Action on Israel
Benjamin Netanyahu (L) and Yoav Gallant (R), 2024. X/ @omarsuleiman
November 22, 2024 Hour: 6:57 am
The ICC’s pre-trial chamber accused Netanyahu and Gallant of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes.
On Thursday, France backed the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its issuing of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
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The ICC’s pre-trial chamber has accused Netanyahu and Gallant of committing “crimes against humanity and war crimes” between at least Oct. 8, 2023 and May 20, 2024.
French foreign ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine said that the Court is a “guarantee of international stability” and its orders must be exercised “in all situations.”
“The fight against impunity is our priority,” Lemoine said, adding that France will continue to support the action of the ICC. However, when asked if the Israeli Prime Minister would be arrested if he came to France, Lemoine did not give a clear answer, calling it a “legally complex” issue.
He also said that France, the host country of the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), is extremely concerned about the cultural heritages in Gaza and Lebanon which have been destroyed during the wars by Israel.
Meanwhile, Norway has also backed the ICC’s action. The country’s Foreign Minister Espen Barth Eide said on Thursday: “The ICC plays a crucial role in ensuring accountability for serious crimes.”
“It is important that the ICC carries out its mandate in a judicious manner. I have confidence that the Court will proceed with the case based on the highest fair trial standards,” he added.
teleSUR/ JF Source: Xinhua
