France Supports ICC Steps To Issue Orders To Arrest Israeli PMs To Hamas Officials

UNSPLASH/Luiza Giannelli ILLUSTRATION

JAKARTA - France is different from a number of its allied countries in the West in support of the move by the International Criminal Court (ICC) which issued an arrest warrant against the Prime Minister and Minister of Defense of Israel as well as three high-ranking Hamas officials.

"Regarding Israel, the Pre-trial Council will decide whether to issue this warrant, after examining the evidence submitted by the Prosecutor to support his accusations," the French Foreign Ministry said.

"France supports the ICC, its independence, its struggle against impunity in all situations," the ministry said.

The French government also said it had warned "for months" about the need for strict compliance with international humanitarian law, particularly regarding "unacceptable civil casualties rates in the Gaza Strip and lack of humanitarian access".

This French decision reflects significant changes from the positions of a number of Western countries, such as Britain and Italy, as well as the United States. US President Joe Biden denounced the ICC's move as an "outrageous" act.

France appears to stand out as one of the few Western countries willing to take a firmer stance against Israel, including criticizing the US veto of a ceasefire resolution at the UN Security Council and promoting an immediate ceasefire.

Israel continues to launch its attacks on Gaza despite UN Security Council resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire.

More than 35,500 Palestinians have been killed since the attack began in October last year, with the biggest victims being women and children, while 79,600 people were injured.

More than seven months since the war began, much of Gaza's territory has been devastated amid food blockades, clean water, and medicines that crippled the area.

Israel was sued for genocide at the International Court, which in January ordered Tel Aviv to prevent genocide and ensure humanitarian aid was available to civilians in Gaza.