International Criminal Court replaces judge requesting prosecution of Israeli Prime Minister

(CLO) The International Criminal Court (ICC) said on Friday that it has replaced one of the judges responsible for making the decision to prosecute and arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Romanian judge Iulia Motoc asked to leave the three-judge panel for health reasons on Friday and was immediately replaced by Slovenian judge Beti Hohler, the ICC president said.

The headquarters of the International Criminal Court in The Hague, the Netherlands. Photo: Reuters

The move is expected to further delay the verdict in the case focusing on the conflict in Gaza as the new judge will need time to complete the file.

In May, prosecutors requested arrest warrants for Mr. Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders, arguing there were reasonable grounds to believe they had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The court did not set a specific time limit, but it usually takes about three months to rule on arrest requests, as has often happened in previous cases. The decision has been delayed due to numerous lawsuits from Israel challenging the court's jurisdiction.

In addition to the ICC case, Israel and Prime Minister Netanyahu also face genocide charges at the International Court of Justice (ICJ). On October 18, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Navi Pillay said: "Not only does Israel bear legal responsibility for its wrongdoings on the international stage, but so do all the states that support it."

The ICJ case, initiated by South Africa, has now been joined by Colombia, Libya, Spain, Mexico, Palestine, Nicaragua, Türkiye and most recently Bolivia, accusing Israel of committing "genocide" in violation of the Genocide Convention during the war in Gaza.

Hoang Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/toa-an-hinh-su-quoc-te-thay-tham-phan-xu-ly-vu-truy-to-thu-tuong-israel-post318503.html