Eleven NGOs call on France to enforce ICC warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant

Eleven nongovernmental organizations have urged France to enforce the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence chief Yoav Gallant.

Among the NGOs are the Ligue de Droit de l'homme (LDH) and the French Palestinian Solidarity Association (AFPS), which released a statement urging France to take action on the warrants, Caliber.Az reports citing foreign media.

The statement highlighted the importance of arresting these officials should they enter French territory and emphasized that France should continue to support the ICC despite external pressures, stating: "The issuance of these warrants underscores the necessity of imposing sanctions on Israeli authorities."

Former French Prime Minister Dominique de Villepin addressed the warrants during an appearance on French LCI television. When asked if France should enforce the warrants if Netanyahu visits France or Europe, de Villepin responded, "France has already addressed this issue through former Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourne, who stated, 'Of course, France will implement the ICC's decision.'"

On November 21, the ICC announced the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, citing "war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza."

French Foreign Ministry spokesperson Christophe Lemoine, during a weekly news briefing, refrained from directly answering whether France would enforce the warrants, describing it as "a legally complex question." A subsequent statement from the ministry characterized the warrants as "not a trial but the formalization of accusations."

The ICC issued these arrest warrants based on allegations of "crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024. The Pre-Trial Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe both leaders engaged in the use of starvation as a method of warfare, as well as committing murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, including targeted attacks on civilians.

On the same day, the ICC also issued a warrant for Mohammed al-Deif, who was reportedly killed by the Israeli army in August. Deif was responsible for overseeing the construction of Gaza's tunnel network and directed Hamas's military operations.

By Tamilla Hasanova