PM confirms Belgium will enforce ICC arrest warrants
Belgium will enforce arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu and others, the outgoing Belgian prime minister confirmed in the House of Representatives on Thursday.
The ICC in The Hague issued arrest warrants last week against Netanyahu and his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, for alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza. The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, better known as Mohammed Deif. All should in principle be handed over to the court.
"Belgium will assume its responsibility. If such a person is on our territory, the arrest warrant must be executed"
Belgian MPs from the far-left PVDA-PTB and the green party Ecolo asked prime minister Alexander De Croo during the weekly question time in parliament whether Belgium would respect these arrest warrants. De Croo confirmed that it would.
"Belgium will assume its responsibility. If such a person is on our territory, the arrest warrant must be executed," said De Croo. "It is crucial for our country that serious crimes do not go unpunished and that the victims are heard and compensated. Without justice, there can never be lasting peace."
Outgoing Belgian prime minister Alexander De Croo during a plenary session of the Chamber of Representatives on 28 November 2024 © BELGA PHOTO ERIC LALMAND
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