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EU says ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant And Deif are ‘binding’
YEREVAN, NOVEMBER 21, ARMENPRESS. The European Union's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell said International Criminal Court arrest warrants issued Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas's military chief Mohammed Deif were "binding" and should be implemented, AFP reports.
"It is not a political decision. It is a decision of a court, of a court of justice, of an international court of justice. And the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented," AFP quoted Joseph Borrell as saying during a visit to the Jordanian capital Amman.
"This decision is a binding decision and all states, all state parties of the court, which include all members of the European Union, are binding to implement this court decision," he said after a joint news conference with Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi.
The ICC's move now theoretically limits the movement of Netanyahu as any of the court's 124 national members would be obliged to arrest him on their territory.
Israel said in early August it had killed Deif in an air strike in southern Gaza in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death.
Judges at the International Criminal Court have issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief Yoav Gallant, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim Al-Masri (aka Mohammed Deif), for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity
Israel has rejected the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza. Israel has said it killed Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in airstrike but Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied this.
The judges found “reasonable grounds” that the three men bore "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
Published by Armenpress, original at https://armenpress.am/en/article/1205609?fbclid=IwY2xjawGtCCtleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHQTcUva337O8sB53uurtUKrvKrGXpHrgdmKbKfVjJH8R0qYGNaxHtNYzoA_aem_zH97Dxm7938-QwIz_D8UnQ