South Africa wants Benjamin Netanyahu arrested for war crimes
The South African government has called on the International Crime Court (ICC), which handles war crimes, genocide, and crimes against humanity, to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by mid-December.
Minister in the Presidency Khumbudzo Ntshavheni said if the ICC did not do this, it would signal a “total failure of global governance. The world cannot simply stand by and watch.”
Israel says it is defending itself following the October 7 attack by Hamas, during which 1,200 people were killed and more than 200 were taken hostage.
Israel says it is trying to minimize civilian casualties, but Ms. Ntshavheni said the Israeli government was trying to “clear most of Gaza of Palestinians and occupy it.”
South Africa has long been a vocal supporter of the Palestinian cause.
The country has announced the withdrawal of its diplomats from Israel and suggested that the position of Israel’s ambassador to Pretoria was becoming “untenable.”
South Africa, along with Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti, submitted a referral to the ICC to investigate whether war crimes and crimes against humanity have been committed in Gaza.
The International Criminal Court is based in The Hague, Netherlands.