Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dispatched an envoy to France on Tuesday in an attempt to shore up support for the war in Gaza that prompted an international court prosecutor to request arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas.
Israel on Tuesday urged "nations of the civilized world" to reject International Criminal Court warrants sought against Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders. France, a crucial Israeli ally, said it backed the warrants charging crimes against humanity and other war crimes.
"France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations," the French Foreign Ministry said in a statement. Belgium Foreign Affairs Minister Hadja Lahbib called the warrants an important step in the investigation, saying "crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level, regardless of the perpetrators." Slovenia's Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs issued a statement saying war crimes in Israel and Gaza must be prosecuted "independently and impartially regardless of the perpetrators."
President Joe Biden, however, railed against the Israeli warrants as outrageous and reiterated firm U.S. support for Israel in the war. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk, former president of the European Council, on Tuesday, agreed with Biden that "an attempt to show that the prime minister of Israel and the leaders of terrorist organizations are the same ... is unacceptable."
Arrest warrants:Warrants sought for Israel's Benjamin Netanyahu, Hamas leader Sinwar on war crimes charges
Developments:
∎ The U.N. agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) said Tuesday that food distribution in Gaza's besieged southern city of Rafah was suspended because of a lack of supplies and security.
∎ A women's Euro 2025 qualifying soccer match between Scotland and Israel in Glasgow on May 31 will be played without supporters because of the potential for disruptive protests, the Scottish Football Association said Tuesday.
∎ Qatar's foreign ministry spokesperson Majed Al-Ansari said Tuesday that the Gaza cease-fire and hostage release talks between Israel and Hamas remain “close to a stalemate."
Netanyahu rips prosecutor's 'chutzpah'
Prosecutor Karim Khan said he has "reason to believe" Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the starvation of Palestinians as a weapon of warfare, intentionally directing attacks on civilians and murder. Netanyahu accused Khan of a "new antisemitism" that the prime minister said has rolled across college campuses to the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
“With what chutzpah do you dare compare the monsters of Hamas to the soldiers of the IDF, the most moral army in the world?” Netanyahu said in an address to the nation translated by the Times of Israel. “With what audacity do you compare between the Hamas that murdered, burned, butchered, raped, and kidnapped our brothers and sisters, and the IDF soldiers who are fighting a just war that is unparalleled, with a morality that is unmatched?”
Israel seizes Associated Press Equipment
Israeli officials seized broadcasting equipment from The Associated Press on Tuesday and accused the news organization of violating a new media law by providing images to Qatar-based Al Jazeera, which was shut down in Israel this month. The new law grants the government power to temporarily ban broadcasts by international news outlets in Israel if they are deemed a threat to national security. Israeli officials warned AP last week to shut down the live transmission, but the media outlet refused.
“The shutdown was not based on the content of the feed but rather an abusive use by the Israeli government of the country’s new foreign broadcaster law," AP spokesperson Lauren Easton said. "We urge the Israeli authorities to return our equipment and enable us to reinstate our live feed immediately so we can continue to provide this important visual journalism to thousands of media outlets around the world.”
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, asked about Israel's action, called it "concerning" and said the White House was looking into the matter. "We stand firm in our belief... in making sure that journalists have the ability and the right to do the job that's incredibly important for them to do," she said.
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