China urges ICC’s 'objective' position after Netanyahu arrest warrant

Italy says would have to arrest Netanyahu after ICC warrant

FE Team | Published: November 22, 2024 21:59:03

BEIJING, Nov 22 (AFP) : China urged the International Criminal Court on Friday to remain objective and fair after it issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
"China hopes the ICC will uphold an objective and just position (and) exercise its powers in accordance with the law," foreign ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a regular press conference in response to a question about the court's warrant for Netanyahu.
The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant on Thursday "for crimes against humanity and war crimes" committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20 this year.
It said there were "reasonable grounds" to believe the pair bore "criminal responsibility" for using starvation as a method of warfare and intentionally attacking civilians.
Netanyahu denounced the move as anti-Semitic and the court's accusations as "absurd and false".
China, which like Israel and the United States is not a member of the ICC, said it "supports any efforts by the international community on the Palestinian issue that are conducive to achieving fairness and justice and upholding the authority of international law".
Lin also accused the United States of "double standards" in response to a question about the US opposition to the court's pursuit of Netanyahu, but its support for a warrant against Russian leader Vladimir Putin.
"China consistently opposes certain countries only use international law when it suits them... and engaging in double standards," Lin said.
US President Joe Biden has condemned the warrants against Israeli leaders, calling them "outrageous".
Italian Defence Minister Guido Crosetto said Thursday his country would be obliged to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he visited, after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant.
The ICC earlier also issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu's former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas's military chief Mohammed Deif.
Crosetto -- whose country holds the G7 rotating presidency this year -- told RAI television's Porta a Porta programme that he believed the ICC was "wrong" to put Netanyahu and Gallant on the same level as Hamas.
But he said that if Netanyahu or Gallant "were to come to Italy, we would have to arrest them".