Gharibabadi: ICC Arrest Warrants Great Victory for Palestine Cause, People

"The warrants are very important, historic and courageous," Iranian Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi made the remarks  in an interview with the Islamic Republic of Iran News Network broadcast on Thursday night, PressTV reported.

"They actually mark a major victory for the oppressed Palestinian nation, the Axis of Resistance as well as their supporters, and a defeat for the Zionist regime and its sponsors. From such a viewpoint, this ruling is very significant,” he added.

He mentioned that many countries around the world have emphasized and acknowledged the ICC's independence and authority since the decision was announced, calling for the ruling to be fully enforced. As a result, Netanyahu and the former Israeli minister of military affairs would be arrested upon entering these countries, he added.

The landmark ICC decision was announced on Thursday. A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.

Gharibabadi noted that lawyers, judges, and members of the public have submitted many documents to ICC prosecutors concerning Israeli crimes following the onset of the Israeli genocidal war on Gaza on October 7 last year, stating that the atrocities were so flagrant that counselors at The Hague-based court could not overlook them.

“The warrants show that the International Criminal Court has come to the conclusion that the criminal Zionist regime has perpetrated the crimes, and an investigation into the offenses, including war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, etc., falls within the jurisdiction of the court. These are key issues,” the Iranian diplomat pointed out.

The judges said on Thursday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival”.

The court also said the men bore “criminal responsibility” for war crimes and crimes against humanity during the bloody onslaught on Gaza.

Meanwhile, the head of Iran's Strategic Council on Foreign Relations has hailed the decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, labeling the move “scandalous for Westerners.”

“European members of the ICC must firstly implement the ruling, and secondly answer the question of why they have supported such criminals and provided them with deadly weapons and financial resources.

“Europeans, now that the ICC has confirmed the war crimes of the leaders of the Israeli regime, should clarify whether they will continue to support this criminal regime politically, financially, and militarily, or they will take another path,” Kamal Kharrazi said.

He pointed to the latest remarks by US President-elect Donald Trump's pick for national security Republican Rep. Mike Waltz who declared that the ICC “has no credibility,” stating that such comments depict the true and ugly face of the so-called civilized Western governments.

“Whilst they claim to be advocating human rights, they are the most blatant violators of such rights,” the top Iranian diplomat said.

“The wars in Gaza and Lebanon exposed many facts that had remained hidden up until now, and disgraced the so-called advocates of democracy and human rights,” Kharrazi said.

He also took a swipe at the US over vetoing a resolution at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) that demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, stating that the move showed Washington’s complicity in the crimes of the Israeli regime.