Afrasianet - International Criminal Court (ICC) spokesman Fadi Al-Abdullah said that the court issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former army minister Yoav Galant for having reasonable grounds for committing war crimes against the Palestinians, pointing out that the court is communicating with member states to arrest Netanyahu and Galant as soon as they enter their territory, stressing that the court's decision is a test for the signatories to the Rome Statute.
Al-Abdullah added in an interview with Palestine TV, that "The ICC issued its decision and the signatories to the Rome Statute should implement this decision and commit to cooperate with the court, including the execution of arrest and detention orders, and if they have any objections or issues that they believe impede the implementation of the court's orders, they should communicate with the judges of the court."
He explained that the State of Palestine is a party to the Rome Statute, so crimes that occur on its territory are followed up even if the state committing the crimes is not a signatory to the Charter, noting that the decision was issued after months of examining evidence and various requests, and that Israel requested an appeal of the decision, but it is up to the judges in the court.
Al-Abdullah pointed out that the President of the Court and the Prosecutor have been subjected to threats and harassment, stressing the Court's commitment to carry out the tasks entrusted to it to achieve the goals for which it was established without being affected by these threats, which came against the background of the decision, which serves justice and holds perpetrators of crimes accountable, noting that political statements that obstruct the work of the Court can be followed up and the people responsible for them prosecuted.
He pointed out that the Office of the Prosecutor is the one who moves cases before the Tribunal, while the rest of the individuals who have information and evidence that may be useful to the Office of the Prosecutor must communicate with the Office and provide such information.
Al-Abdullah pointed out that there is not necessarily a field investigation team on the ground to collect evidence, but rather it is possible to rely on images, documents, testimonies, satellites and the use of modern technologies that document crimes, pointing out that the jurisdiction of the court includes all Palestinian territories, including Gaza and the West Bank. West including East Jerusalem.
He pointed out that the Attorney General is following up the evidence about the crimes of the colonists and what the Palestinian detainees are subjected to in Israeli prisons, stressing that Netanyahu and Galant are accused of using starvation as a weapon against civilians, noting that the arrest warrants will remain in force and do not lapse by statute of limitations unless the judges decide to do so.
He stressed that any country that believes that there is an obstacle in the implementation of the arrest decision must submit it to the court, stressing that there is no immunity for anyone from prosecution before the court, and that political positions are not taken into account before the International Criminal Court because they depend on legal matters.
Al-Abdullah pointed out that Palestine's application for admission to the ICC was accepted in 2015, explaining that the cases opened at the ICC relate to war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel.
Stressed However, justice will continue to protect victims within the jurisdiction of the Court, which is trying to establish the truth through a judicial process to break the cycle of violence and achieve world peace.
On Nov. 21, Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court unanimously rejected Israeli appeals under Articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute and issued arrest warrants for both Netanyahu and Galant, after the judges found "reasonable grounds to believe that they were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity."