Biden found the ICC's issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant outrageous

The decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to warrant the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant is outrageous. US President Joe Biden said on November 21.

"The ICC's issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli leaders is outrageous. Let me be clear again: whatever the ICC means, there is no equivalence - none - between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security," the acting U.S. president said in a message on the White House website.

Earlier in the day, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Defense Ministry chief Yoav Galant. The decision was made because Netanyahu and Galant "continue criminal acts" and should be aware of the existence of the warrants for the benefit of the victims and their families.

Netanyahu's office on Nov. 21, commenting on the issuance of the warrant, accused the ICC of isolating the country and "facilitating terrorist acts" against the Jewish state.

In turn, Dutch Foreign Minister Caspar Veldkamp noted that the Netherlands is ready to arrest Netanyahu if he arrives in the country. At the same time, the leader of the party "Union of Sarah Wagenknecht - for reason and justice" Sarah Wagenknecht called the warrant a slap in the face to Chancellor Olaf Scholz and German Foreign Minister Annalena Berbock.

On Nov. 14, lawyer Burak Bekiroğlu reported that Turkey has prepared a lawsuit at the ICC against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing him of genocide in the Gaza Strip. Turkey believes that any international outcry or pressure from the court will slow down the violence against infants, women, children and all civilians subjected to genocide.

The situation in the Middle East escalated on the morning of Oct. 7, when Hamas launched a massive rocket attack from the Gaza Strip into Israel, as well as invading border areas in the south and taking hostages. On the same day, Israel began retaliatory strikes against targets in the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinians seek to return the borders between the two countries to the lines that existed before the 1967 Six-Day War. Palestine wants to establish its own state in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and make East Jerusalem its capital. Israel refuses to accept the conditions.