Israeli Prime Minister warns that ICC arrest warrant will be a 'stain'

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that if the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, it would be an "indelible stain" on justice.

"If they issue an arrest warrant for the Israeli government and military leadership, it will be an indelible stain on the ideals of justice and international law," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on May 5, mentioned the possibility of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant for him and other senior Israeli officials.

Many media outlets late last month reported that the ICC was preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials and possibly Hamas leaders following an investigation into the conflict in the Gaza Strip.

Prime Minister Netanyahu said that Israel's attack on Gaza was the country's "basic right to self-defense" after the Hamas raid late last year, affirming that an arrest warrant if issued by the ICC would limit Tel Aviv's right to do so. .

"Even when Israel is forced to stand alone, we will stand firm and will continue to attack our enemies until we win. Even when we stand alone, we will still fight against the evils of humanity." ", Mr. Netanyahu added.


The US also believes that the ICC issuing arrest warrants for the Prime Minister and Israeli officials would be an illegal action. The Israeli government held an emergency meeting to discuss response plans if an arrest warrant was issued.

The ICC said last week it does not comment on ongoing investigations or speculation based on media reports.

This court has never issued an arrest warrant against government officials or the military of Western countries. The ICC has issued arrest warrants for former Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir, former Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi and current Russian President Vladimir Putin. Neither Israel nor the US recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC, a court headquartered in The Hague, Netherlands.

However, if the ICC issues an arrest warrant, member states are obliged to execute it if Israeli officials set foot on their territory.

The US raised the scenario of Ukraine counter-attacking in 2025

The US national security advisor said Ukraine will seek to launch a new counterattack campaign in 2025, after receiving $61 billion in military aid. "Russian forces will make more progress on the battlefield in the near future," US national security advisor Jake Sullivan said on May 4. "Even though the US has approved new military aid to Ukraine, this package cannot take effect immediately."


Mr. Sullivan affirmed that the new aid from the US will help Ukraine "maintain its defense and fend off Russian attacks" throughout this year. Referring to the war scenario in 2025, he said that the Ukrainian army intends to "regain areas controlled by Russian forces".

The US national security adviser's comments on a potential Ukrainian counterattack show how the White House views the development of the conflict, in case President Joe Biden is re-elected after the November election. now.


Experts say any Ukrainian counterattack in 2025 will depend on larger aid from the US, which needs to be approved by Congress and the White House. Ukrainian officials expressed hope that the country's military could turn the tide next year.

However, former President Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, expressed skepticism about aid to Ukraine and vowed to try to quickly end the country's conflict with Russia.

American aid has been delayed for months and manpower shortages have weakened Ukraine's ability to hold the line. Russian forces took advantage of weapons, ammunition and numbers to attack across the front line and captured many residential areas, the most prominent of which was the stronghold of Avdeevka in Donetsk province.
Many Ukrainian officials believe that May could be one of the most difficult times in the conflict, as the country waits for US weapons to be supplied to the front line.

President Volodymyr Zelensky said last month that Ukraine planned a counteroffensive, but the operation would require more weapons. Although the problem of weapons supply can be resolved, Ukraine has not yet solved the problem of personnel for the army.

Many Ukrainians expressed unwillingness to enlist due to concerns about weak command and lack of weapons. Ukrainian officials are trying to come up with many policies to resolve this situation, but it remains to be seen how they and new military aid packages will impact public psychology.