Arms to Israel: Will countries halt sales in wake of ICC arrest warrants?
Al Jazeera
The arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant could lead to countries rethinking arms deals with Israel, experts say
Western nations which sell arms to Israel may be forced to re-evaluate their trade agreements after arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for “war crimes” and “crimes against humanity” in Gaza, experts say.
The warrants came amid Israel’s continuing bombardment and military campaign on the Gaza Strip, where more than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, 2023, according to health officials.
All 124 countries which are signatories to the Rome Statute of the ICC are now legally obliged to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they set foot on their territory.
The question of whether countries supplying arms to a country whose leaders are accused of crimes against humanity could be considered complicit is unclear, but experts say some suppliers will have to consider carefully if they wish to continue to support Israel in its war on Gaza.
Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) estimated that between 2019 and 2023, Israel was the 15th largest importer of arms globally.
