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Could the International Criminal Court indict Binyamin Netanyahu?

Rumours abound that an arrest warrant is imminent for Israel’s prime minister

Binyamin Netanyahu, the Israeli prime minister, looks deep in thought during a weekly cabinet meeting in Jerusalem.
Photograph: AP

Israel’s government is concerned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague will issue arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials in relation to the war in Gaza. Those under suspicion could include Binyamin Netanyahu, Israel’s prime minister, members of his cabinet and generals in the Israel Defence Forces. The ICC has not said it is considering such a move. Yet Mr Netanyahu felt the threat serious enough to state on April 30th that any warrant “would be an outrage of historic proportions”. The ICC’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, warned that threats to “retaliate” against the court could undermine its impartiality. On what grounds would the ICC issue such warrants, and what would be the consequences?

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From the May 11th 2024 edition

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