Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided today (Wednesday) that he will go ahead and appeal the ICC decision to issue warrants for his and former Defense Minister Gallant's arrest on the charge of war crimes.
This decision comes just before the deadline for appeal ends, at midnight tonight.
The Israeli government has repeatedly reiterated that the ICC's decision lacks authority and is tainted with antisemitism, and even the Attorney General has insisted the same.
Moreover, Prime Minister Netanyahu reportedly expects the United States to impose crippling sanctions on the ICC, and it is only the recommendation of the state legal establishment that he has a "case" and that the warrant is full of holes that led him to decide otherwise.
In its official statement, the Prime Minister's Office said that "The State of Israel denies the authority of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague and the legitimacy of the arrest warrants that have been issued against the Prime Minister and the former Defense Minister."
It also noted that "Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, today (Wednesday, 27 November 2024), at the Prime Minister's Office in Jerusalem, met with US Senator Lindsey Graham (R-SC), who updated him on the efforts that he is advancing in the US Congress against the ICC and countries that have cooperated with it."
Alongside this, the Prime Minister's Office said that "Israel submitted an announcement to the ICC today regarding its intention to appeal to the court along with a demand to delay implementation of the arrest warrants."