Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, met with European Commissioner Oliver Varhelyi on Wednesday amidst requests by the International Criminal Court’s prosecutor for arrest warrants against them over alleged war crimes.
President Ursula von der Leyen had not approved the meeting, as clarified by a spokesperson, who stated that commissioners do not need prior approval for such engagements.
The ICC could soon issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister, and three Hamas leaders.
On May 20, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) applied for warrants for the arrests of senior members of both the Israeli and Hamas leadership.
The ICC warrant application sparked angry protests not only in Tel Aviv and from Hamas spokespeople, but also in Washington and London.
These UK and USA had previously fully supported the ICC when it requested arrest warrants for Russian President Vladimir Putin and Russia’s commissioner for children’s rights Maria Lvova-Belova following the invasion of Ukraine in 2022.