‘’If a person subject to an arrest warrant from the CC is found on its territory, Belgium will assume its responsibility. There can be no double standards, ” said outgoing Prime Minister Alexander De Croo.

 

Belgium will apply the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoava Gallan, declared outgoing Belgian Prime Minister Alexander De Croo at the parliament.

‘’If a person subject to an arrest warrant from the CC is found on its territory, Belgium will assume its responsibility. There can be no double standards, ” he said. during the weekly question time.

He responded questions from extreme-left MPs on whether Belgium would respect the ICC arrest warrants issued last week by the court in The Hague for ‘’crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza’’ where the Israeli army is conducting a military operation since the Israeli territory was attacked by Hamas terrorists on October 7, 2023;

“Belgium supports the ICC. For our country, it is crucial that serious crimes do not go unpunished. It is important to confirm that Belgium, along with the more than 120 countries that have ratified the Rome Statute, must assume its responsibilities, De Croo said.

Israel announced on Wednesday its intention to appeal the ICC ruling.

Neither Israel nor the United States are signatories of the Rome Statute. All 27 EU Member States are party to the ICC and are legally obliged to carry out an arrest if one of the individuals in questions enters their territory.

France on Wednessay said that Prime Minister Netanyahu has immunity from arrest warrants issued by the The Hague court on the ground that Israel is not an ICC member.

“A state cannot be held to act in a way that is incompatible with its obligations in terms of international law with regard to immunities granted to states which are not party to the ICC,” a French foreign ministry said.

“Such immunities apply to Pprime Mminister Netanyahu and other ministers in question, and must be taken into consideration should the ICC ask us to arrest them and hand them over.”