Potential ICC arrest warrants could jeopardise ceasefire - US; Israel ‘ready to accept’ hostage truce deal

30 Apr 2024

The US and its allies fear that the International Criminal Court may issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials just as the country is getting closer to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, potentially jeopardising a deal, people familiar with the matter said.

The New York Times reported on Monday that Israel was ready to accept the release of 33 hostages, down from at least 40, during the first phase of a new truce.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged leaders of Hamas to quickly reach a decision on Israeli conditions for a temporary ceasefire, a move that could help bring an end to fighting in Gaza.

US warns ICC action on Israel would hurt ceasefire chances

The US and its allies are concerned that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials just as the country is getting closer to a ceasefire agreement with Hamas, potentially jeopardising a deal, people familiar with the matter said.

The worry is that Israel would back out of a truce if the ICC proceeds with the warrants, according to two of the people, who asked not to be identified discussing private deliberations. Group of Seven nations have begun a quiet diplomatic effort to convey that message to the Hague-based court, the people said.

The ICC was weighing up arrest warrants targeting senior Israeli officials as well as the leadership of Hamas over the two sides’ conduct of the war in Gaza, the people said. The New York Times previously reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu could be among those targeted.

The US opposes the investigation and argues that the ICC doesn’t have jurisdiction in this situation, according to US officials. Two of the people said that the gap between Israel and Hamas over an agreement to release hostages had narrowed in recent weeks and that a deal was now close. Hamas is designated as a terrorist organisation by the US and European Union.

The New York Times reported on Monday that Israel was ready to accept the release of 33 hostages, down from at least 40, during the first phase of a new truce. Hamas has said it can’t free 40 women, elderly or sick captives as demanded in return for a six-week ceasefire because it doesn’t have enough hostages in that category.

Group of Seven allies have been pushing Israel to put off an incursion into Rafah, where more than a million Palestinians have taken refuge. An agreement could help bring an end to fighting in Gaza and put off the assault on the city, one of the people said.

On 7 October, Hamas attacked Israel in surprise raids, killing more than 1,200 people and taking around 250 as hostages. More than 34,000 Palestinians were killed in the ensuing Israeli campaign, according to the Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza. The US and other Group of Seven nations have repeatedly urged Netanyahu to do more to protect civilians in Gaza, while remaining staunch allies and suppliers of arms.

The US has never been a party to the ICC, which began its work in 2002 as a “court of last resort” for victims of genocide, war crimes and other atrocities. President Joe Biden revoked sanctions imposed on the ICC during the Trump administration and has cooperated in some cases, especially around allegations of Russian war crimes in Ukraine.

The court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, said in February that he was deeply concerned about the conduct of Israeli forces, as well as of Hamas fighters holding Israeli hostages. “Those who do not comply with the law should not complain later when my office takes action pursuant to its mandate,” he said at the time.

The ICC works separately from the International Court of Justice, the UN’s main judicial body, which can’t try or punish individuals. That court ruled in January that Israel must act to prevent Palestinians from being killed or injured in response to a genocide case brought by South Africa.

Hamas needs to make decision on Israel truce offer, says US

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken urged leaders of Hamas to quickly reach a decision on Israeli conditions for a temporary ceasefire, a move that could help bring an end to fighting in Gaza.

Israel had been “extraordinarily generous” with proposals made during talks mediated by Qatar and Egypt to secure the release of Israeli hostages held by Hamas, Blinken said at a special event of the World Economic Forum in Riyadh on Monday. He wasn’t more specific about the offer on the table.

The US diplomat travelled to the region — his seventh trip to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas conflict began in early October — to push for at least a pause in hostilities under a temporary ceasefire agreement.

The US supported Israeli efforts to defend itself and prevent future attacks, and was determined to bring an end to the current conflict, Blinken said.

Hamas had been presented with a “proposal that is extraordinarily generous on the part of Israel. The only thing that’s standing between the people of Gaza and a ceasefire is Hamas,” Blinken said. “They have to decide quickly.”

A Hamas official said its delegation planned to respond to the latest Israeli truce plan on Monday, Agence France-Presse reported, offering another glimmer of hope as the Gaza conflict grinds toward the seven-month mark.

However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s room for manoeuvre is limited because he heads the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. His firebrand coalition allies, including Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, oppose a hostage deal right now, which could bring his administration down.

Blinken is also due to travel to Jordan and Israel in his push for the ceasefire deal, after months of deadlocked talks between the Jewish state and Hamas.

Tusk pushes for speedy Orlen probe amid report on Hezbollah link

Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk summoned the head of the secret service and prosecutor general following a report that the previous management of the nation’s largest oil refiner had ignored warnings about a Swiss unit.

State-controlled Orlen’s internal security service cautioned against hiring a man identified as Samer A to run a trading business planned for Switzerland because he was thought to be involved in the oil trade with Iran and have connections to Hezbollah, Onet.pl reported on Monday. The website didn’t disclose Samer A’s full name in line with Polish law.

After the company’s management changed this February, new bosses uncovered losses at Orlen Trading Switzerland of almost $400-million, stemming from unsecured advance payments to unknown intermediaries. The major beneficiary was a 25-year-old Chinese citizen at a Dubai-based company that received more than $200-million.

Tusk described the case as key for the country’s security in a post on X social media platform on Monday. “Poles need to know the truth. There’s no point in waiting any more.”

The country’s top refiner has been at the centre of controversy under former Chief Executive Officer Daniel Obajtek, a loyalist of Poland’s previous populist administration. In January, prosecutors started several probes into Orlen’s acquisition of oil refiner Grupa Lotos, as well as its pricing policies, which caused shortages of fuel at filling stations last year.

Orlen said last week that it had notified prosecutors about potential irregularities at the Swiss unit. Its press office declined to comment on the latest media reports when contacted by Bloomberg on Monday. DM

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US warns ICC action on Israel would hurt ceasefire chances

Hamas needs to make decision on Israel truce offer, says US

Tusk pushes for speedy Orlen probe amid report on Hezbollah link