On Friday, Italy confirmed that the Group of Seven (G7) nations will address the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant during their Foreign Ministers’ meeting on November 25.
Italian Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani spoke on the matter at an event in Turin, noting, “We respect and support the International Criminal Court, but we believe that its role should remain legal rather than political.” He emphasized that the G7 would carefully review the ICC’s decision and the related documents to understand the reasons behind the arrest warrants.
The Foreign Ministers of the G7, which includes the US, Germany, France, Canada, the UK, Italy, and Japan, will gather in the Italian towns of Anagni and Fiuggi on November 25-26 to discuss various issues, including the ICC’s action against Netanyahu and Gallant. Tajani stressed that the discussions would be guided by the policy outlined by Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni, with decisions to be made in coordination with the country’s allies.
The arrest warrants, issued by the ICC on Thursday, accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes during Israel’s ongoing military operations from at least October 8, 2023, until May 20, 2024. The court found “reasonable grounds” to believe that both men were responsible for war crimes, including using starvation as a method of warfare, as well as crimes of murder, persecution, and inhumane acts.
This legal action comes as Israel’s military offensive in Gaza continues, with devastating consequences for the civilian population. Over 44,000 Palestinians have been killed, the majority being women and children, while the blockade has left the region in a severe humanitarian crisis.
