Netanyahu, Gallant could be arrested if they visit Italy: Defense minister

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto on Thursday expressed reservations about the International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant but confirmed that Italy would be obligated to enforce the warrants if they entered the country.

Speaking during a televised interview, Crosetto remarked that while he believes the ICC's decision is "wrong," as a signatory to the Rome Statute, Italy must comply with international law.

"Since we are a party to the ICC, if Netanyahu and Gallant come to Italy, we will have to arrest them. This is not a political decision but the enforcement of international legislation," he stated.

In a landmark move, the International Criminal Court on Thursday announced it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over war crimes in Palestinian territories, including Gaza.

The warrants come as Israel's genocidal offensive in Gaza recently entered its second year, having already killed some 44,000 Palestinians, most of them women and children, and injured over 103,000 others.

Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani echoed a more cautious tone.

"We will review the content of the decision and the reasons behind it," Tajani said, emphasizing that the ICC should maintain a strictly legal role, free from political influences.

"Together with our allies, we will assess what will happen and determine what actions to take and how to proceed."

Tajani's remarks provoked backlash from the opposition Five Star Movement (M5S), whose parliamentarians called his comments "shocking and shameful."

In a joint statement, M5S members noted that the EU's foreign policy chief Josep Borrell affirmed the binding nature of ICC decisions on EU member states.