- Belgium, Slovenia and France backed the decision by the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) which accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
- France has been warning for many months about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and insufficient humanitarian access.
| International Criminal Court The International Criminal Court (ICC) investigates and, where warranted, tries individuals charged with the gravest crimes of concern to the international community: genocide, war crimes, crimes against humanity and the crimes of aggression. Headquarters: The Hague, the Netherlands.As a court of last resort, it seeks to complement, not replace, national Courts. Governed by an international treaty called the Rome Statute.124 countries are States Parties to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. India never signed the Rome Statute and is not party to the International Criminal Court. |
France has a large Jewish community and close trade and diplomatic ties with Israel.
- A panel of three judges will decide whether to issue the arrest warrants and allow a case to proceed. The judges typically take two months to make such decisions.
- Countries that are party to the court would be obliged to arrest
Dig Deeper: Which countries have recently left ICC membership, and why does the ICC often face allegations?
