Israel to Appeal ICC Ruling

On Wednesday, December 7, Israel announced that it would appeal the International Criminal Court (ICC) ruling that issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Israel has until midnight on Wednesday to file its appeal, and Israeli media reports indicate that the decision to contest the ruling was made at the last moment. The ICC had accused Netanyahu and Gallant of committing war crimes, including using hunger as a method of warfare, as well as crimes against humanity, including murder and persecution. According to the court's decision, Netanyahu and Gallant are barred from traveling to 120 member countries of the ICC, including most European countries. However, they will still be able to travel to the United States, which is not a member of the court, and some other countries in the Middle East. Both Israel and the United States condemned the ICC ruling and criticized it harshly. Netanyahu's office issued a statement calling the ICC's arrest warrant for him and Gallant 'anti-Semitic' and described the court as a 'biased political entity,' labeling the accusations as 'false and absurd.' The United States also rejected the ICC's warrant for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, deeming the court lacking the necessary jurisdiction. Karim Khan, the ICC's chief prosecutor and the issuer of the arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, is currently under scrutiny and investigation by the ICC for sexual harassment allegations. He is originally from Pakistan.