Sinn Féin spokesperson on Foreign Affairs, Matt Carthy TD, has welcomed news that the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu.

Teachta Carthy said:

“Today’s news that the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister Yoav Gallant is welcome.

“Israel’s genocidal onslaught against the civilian population of Gaza has resulted in the deaths of 35,000 Palestinians, including an estimated 15,000 children.

“Israel is in gross violation of international law and the ICC is rightfully doing its job in seeking to hold them to account for their criminal responsibility for the international crimes committed against the Palestinian people, including starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, wilfully killing and murder, and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, as well as crimes against humanity including extermination.

“Other international institutions who have been lacking in their response, particularly the European Union, must now act or risk forever losing any credibility on matters of human rights and international humanitarian law.

“But there is much more at risk – the lives of 1.4 million people seeking shelter in Rafah hang in the balance.

“If International Law and the UN Charter are to retain any meaning, then there can be no more equivocation or half-hearted measures or statements – Israel must be condemned, meaningfully sanctioned and held to account.

“The vast majority of humanity are demanding a ceasefire now – world leaders must catch up with where their citizens have been for nearly seven months now.

“The Irish government for their part must utilise every tool at their disposal to pressure Israel to call off their intended slaughter, to hold Israel to account and to demand their compliance with international law, including by:

• Enacting the Illegal Israeli settlements divestment bill and the Occupied Territories Bill.
• Joining the ICJ Genocide case against Israel; and
• Increasing funding to UNRWA

“Furthermore, it is no longer tenable for the European Union to continue blocking a review into Israel’s compliance with its human rights obligations under the EU Israel Association Agreement. The EU has failed to take any meaningful action against Israel, in fact European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen, has provided cover for Israeli war crimes.

“Recent events have shown that Israel is not interested in a peace settlement. That is because the international community has failed to force them to do so. That must change now before we see a further slaughter of innocent Palestinians.”