The International Criminal Court (ICC) continues to study whether or not it has jurisdiction over matters concerning “Israel” and Palestine, as Israeli officials struggle to figure out the timeline or expected results of the discussions.
The issue is of particular interest as the ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced a request for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant at an earlier time this year.
Khan’s decision was subjected to backlash and pressure from “Israel” and its allies, despite the request including three top Palestinian Resistance officials. The Resistance leaders who Khan requested arrest warrants for are the previous Hamas leader, martyr Ismail Haniyeh, current Hamas leader, Yahya Sinwar, and al-Qassam Brigades Chief-of-Staff Mohammad Deif.
The court is still studying whether it has the jurisdiction to issue these arrest warrants, an unusual situation that lacks a legal precedent.
Israeli officials familiar with the matter told the Israeli newspaper Haaretz that diplomatic pressure is being exerted on the ICC to delay the issuance of the warrants against the Israeli prime minister and his security minister. Yet, the same officials are unsure if these measures will affect the court’s final decision.
Source: Almayadeen
