South Africa Applauds Initiative to Arrest Israeli and Hamas Officials

President Ramaphosa emphasized the importance of holding individuals accountable for committing “heinous crimes.” He stressed the need for responsibility and consequences for such actions.

The presidency expressed South Africa’s approval of the recent announcement made by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding the issuance of arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israel, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

On Monday, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan revealed that applications for the arrest of Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have been filed, citing allegations of genocide in Gaza.

The prosecutor also aims to apprehend Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, the commander of its military wing, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, and the chief of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh. The prosecutor stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that these individuals are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel.

This development follows a period of extensive airstrikes and ground offensives by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) in Gaza, resulting in a significant number of casualties.

South Africa, known for its support of Palestinian independence, had previously filed a case against West Jerusalem, urging the UN court to arrest the Israeli prime minister for alleged genocide in Gaza. Additionally, Pretoria submitted another case to the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing systematic war crimes by obstructing humanitarian aid to Palestinian civilians.

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President Cyril Ramaphosa emphasized South Africa’s commitment to international law, human rights, peaceful dispute resolution, and the self-determination of all peoples, including the Palestinians.

The presidency emphasized the importance of applying the law uniformly to all individuals to maintain the international rule of law, ensure accountability for perpetrators of serious crimes, and safeguard the rights of victims.

Israel does not participate in the ICC and rejects the authority of the UN court, while the State of Palestine became a member in 2015. If warrants are issued against Netanyahu and Hamas leaders, any of the court’s 124 member states will be required to apprehend them upon entering their territories.

Israeli officials, such as Bezalel Smotrich, the nation’s far-right finance minister, have criticized Khan’s ruling as a display of bias and anti-Semitism.

Netanyahu himself has condemned the decision as an “unjust action” and a “moral atrocity of historical significance” that will leave a lasting stain on the ICC.