France broke away from its Western allies and expressed support for the International Criminal Court (ICC) after the court announced its decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence minister and Hamas leaders.
“Regarding Israel, it will be up to the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber to decide whether to issue these warrants, after examining the evidence put forward by the Prosecutor to support his accusations,” the French foreign ministry said Monday.
“France supports the International Criminal Court, its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations.”
Paris also said it has been warning “for many months” the need for strict compliance with international humanitarian laws and “in particular of the unacceptable level of civilian casualties in the Gaza Strip and the lack of humanitarian access.”
France’s move marks a major split between its position and that of its Western allies, including the UK, Italy, and US — where President Joe Biden called the decision “outrageous.”
France has been one of the few Western countries willing to take a tougher stance on Israel, including criticizing the US decision to veto ceasefire resolutions in the UN Security Council early on and calling for an immediate ceasefire.
