UN, ICC URGED TO ACT ON NETANYAHU'S ARREST WARRANT FOR WAR CRIMES

By AMIRUL MOHD SAJADI

KUALA LUMPUR, March 21 -- Malaysia must continue pressuring the United Nations (UN) and the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take decisive action against Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over war crime allegations against the Palestinian people.

Nusantara Academy for Strategic Research (NASR) Geo-strategist and Senior Fellow Prof Dr Azmi Hassan said the ICC must be firm in enforcing the arrest warrant issued against the Israeli leader.

This is just as it did with former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte, who was recently arrested in the southeast nation and transferred to the Netherlands to face charges, he said.

"If the ICC can use the International Criminal Police Organisation (INTERPOL) channel to arrest former Philippines President Rodrigo Duterte in a sovereign country recently, perhaps similar decisive action can also be taken by the ICC to address this issue (the arrest warrant against Netanyahu).

"Such immediate action is vital as a signal that no country or leader, regardless of their political power, can escape accountability if they are involved in war crimes or genocide," he told Bernama here today.

Azmi said Israel's atrocities against the Palestinian people remain alarming despite previous ceasefire agreements, which he described as mere rhetoric, as the regime continues to commit war crimes in the region.

On Nov 21 last year, the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. They are charged with alleged war crimes committed in Gaza between Oct 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas commander Mohamad Deif.

Azmi added that Malaysia must continue to advocate justice for Palestine by applying pressure on the ICC and the UN.

"Malaysia must continue to pressure the ICC and the UN to ensure that the principle of justice is not exploited for political purposes," he said, adding that justice for the Palestinian people can only be achieved if the international community, including Malaysia, remains steadfast in demanding accountability for war crimes.

"If Duterte could be investigated and issued an arrest warrant in a short time, then Netanyahu should receive the same treatment. Justice must be impartial," he said.

Duterte is currently facing charges at the ICC for crimes against humanity related to the war on drugs that took place between Nov 1, 2011, and March 16, 2019.

He is held at the ICC Detention Centre in The Hague, Netherlands, and is scheduled to appear before the court on Sept 23, to confirm the charges against him.

-- BERNAMA