SA monitors possible Netanyahu arrest warrant

President Cyril Ramaphosa and his government are closely monitoring developments regarding the possibility that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue a warrant of arrest against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his senior officials. IoL reports that this follows growing speculation that the ICC could issue the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and senior officials in Tel Aviv for the war in Gaza. Legalbrief reports that Netanyahu last week posted on X that 'Israel will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defence'. Ramaphosa’s spokesperson Vincent Magwenya yesterday said ‘with respect to a warrant of arrest that may be issued, we will follow those developments as they progress’. ‘What interventions that are made by institutions that are set up to safeguard international law, to safeguard the lives of citizens we will applaud those measures as and when those measures are being taken. We are part of those institutions and we do believe to the adherence to the principles of international law and we do believe that no country and no individual should be above those international legal obligations,’ said Magwenya.

He said SA’s case against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) at The Hague is still proceeding. IoL notes that SA took Tel Aviv to The Hague last December for provisional measures to provide humanitarian aid and protect civilians against attacks. Magwenya said the ICJ has provided dates for the hearing of the case. ‘The ICJ has been providing regular updates in that regard. We will continue putting pressure parallel to the court process on Israel and its allies to do the right thing in terms of working towards a permanent ceasefire,’ he added. TIME reports that the ICC’s prosecutor Karim Khan has not confirmed the possibility of imminent arrest warrants for Israeli leaders. In October after the war broke out, Khan promised his office would scrutinise the actions of all military parties engaged in the war.