Lebanon hails ICC arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

Lebanon praised on Friday the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

On Thursday, the Hague-based court announced the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant earlier in the day "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024," when ICC prosecutor Karim Khan sought the warrants.

Lebanon's Foreign Ministry said in response to the ICC decision in a statement that it reaffirms international legitimacy, the principles of justice, and adherence to international humanitarian law.

It provides a sense of trust and security for people worldwide by demonstrating the credibility and effectiveness of global institutions and courts, it added.

The ministry emphasized that the ICC decision represents a fundamental move toward achieving justice and serves as a clear condemnation of crimes committed by Israel against civilians.

"The decision proves that the era of impunity for such crimes has come to an end," the statement read.

Lebanon also called on the international community to uphold the principles of international justice to safeguard global peace and security.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in October last year, killing more than 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn growing international condemnation, with officials and institutions labeling the attacks and blocking of aid deliveries as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

The ICC announced in a landmark move Thursday that it issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.