Arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu and Hamas leader Sinwar: the role of Amal Clooney

Karim Ahmad Khan, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hagueannounced that he had submitted to the Pre-Trial Chamber of the court the request for arrest warrants regarding the situation in the State of Palestine. These mandates are for Yahya Sinwar, leader of Hamas, with Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, but also for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister. The accusation is for “crimes against humanity and war”. There is also a team of consultants who led to these requests Amal Clooneycivil rights lawyer and wife of actor George Clooney.

Amal Alamuddin, married Clooney, had not publicly expressed her opinion on the situation in Gaza and probably did not do so precisely because she was a consultant among the international law experts who collaborate with the prosecutor who mentioned her name. With other consultants you signed an editorial on Financial Times explaining his role. This can be read on the website of the foundation she shares with her husband.

«More than four months ago, The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has asked me to assist him in evaluating evidence of suspected war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and Gaza. I agreed and joined a group of international legal experts to undertake this task. Together we have engaged in an extensive process of evidence review and legal analysis, including at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.”

And he adds: «We have unanimously established that the Court has jurisdiction over crimes committed in Palestine and by Palestinian citizens. We unanimously conclude that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including hostage-taking, murder and crimes of violence sexual. We unanimously conclude that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant have committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, including starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and extermination.I was part of this group because I believe in the rule of law and in the need to protect the lives of civilians.”

Amal Clooney then explains that the law that protects civilians in war was developed more than 100 years ago and applies in every country in the world, regardless of the reasons for the conflict. «As a human rights lawyer, I will never accept that one child's life has less value than another's. I do not accept that any conflict should be outside the reach of the law, nor that any perpetrator is above the law. I therefore support the historic step taken by the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to bring justice to the victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine. Today, my colleagues and I published an editorial and a detailed legal report on the Group's findings. My approach is not to provide a running commentary of my work, but to let the work speak for itself. I hope that witnesses will cooperate in the ongoing investigation. And I hope that justice prevails in a region that has already suffered too much.”

International reactions to the requests for arrest warrants were immediate. For Netanyahu “the request for an arrest warrant is new anti-Semitism”. «The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor's request for arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is scandalous» said American President Joe Biden who reiterated the presence of the USA alongside Israel. “Whatever this prosecutor may mean, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas.” Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid said that “Netanyahu should announce that he wants to open negotiations with the Saudis, with the Palestinian component included.” China said it hoped the International Criminal Court would maintain an objective and impartial stance.” France expressed support for the International Criminal Court prosecutor. For Germany, however, the impression of equivalence between Israel and Hamas is “false”.

Source: Vanity Fair

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