Belgium Urges EU to Enforce ICC Arrest Warrants for Israeli Leaders.

Brussels: Belgian Deputy Prime Minister Petra De Sutter has called on the European Union (EU) to comply with and uphold the UN top court's arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, De Sutter emphasized the need for Europe to impose economic sanctions, suspend the Association Agreement with Israel, and uphold the arrest warrants, stating on X, "War crimes and crimes against humanity cannot go unpunished." The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant six months after chief prosecutor Karim Khan requested them. This marks the first instance in the court's 22-year history that it has issued arrest warrants for senior officials from a Western-allied nation. The ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber I, composed of three judges, unanimously issued two decisions rejecting challenges by Israel under articles 18 and 19 of the Rome Statute, and subsequently issued the w arrants. The chamber described the arrest warrants as "secret" but decided to release them due to ongoing conduct similar to that addressed in the warrants, specifically referencing Israel's continued actions in Gaza. All 125 states that are signatories to the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, are obligated to arrest the individuals and surrender them to the ICC in The Hague, as trials cannot begin in absentia. Despite the ICC's lack of enforcement powers, it depends on the cooperation of member states to arrest and surrender suspects. While Israel is not a member of the ICC, the State of Palestine became a member in 2015, allowing the court to investigate Israeli individuals for crimes committed in occupied territories, including the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem. Source: Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA