"Israel’s" military has determined that the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister could put military officials and soldiers at risk of legal action while abroad, according to a report by Ynet citing army sources.
The decision could affect mandatory service and reserve soldiers who participated in Tel Aviv’s genocidal war against the Gaza Strip.
“Some soldiers have already been required to leave countries they visited due to concerns about legal proceedings,” the "Israeli" news site said on 4 December.
According to the report, the "Israeli" army has identified around 30 cases in which its soldiers faced legal proceedings while visiting certain countries. At least eight "Israeli" soldiers were forced to leave the countries they were visiting, such as Cyprus, Slovenia, and the Netherlands.
The "Israeli" army has warned dozens of soldiers to avoid traveling abroad.
The army has not imposed a full travel ban on its members, but is carrying out a “risk assessment” process for soldiers who wish to travel.
Scores of "Israeli" army soldiers have, since the war in Gaza began, posted footage of themselves online making genocidal statements, destroying homes, ordering mass evacuations, or committing various forms of war crimes. Many of these testimonies were used as evidence in South Africa’s genocide case against "Israel" at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) earlier this year.
The report added that many pro-Palestinian organizations have used this material to create “blacklists” of "Israeli" army soldiers, publishing their names and photos, “hoping to identify future travel plans.” They then filed legal complaints or submitted petitions to authorities in the aforementioned countries.
“Individual proceedings against soldiers and junior officers traveling abroad could be based on ICC rulings. To any soldier or officer, if they are arrested, summoned for questioning, or feel they are being followed or photographed while abroad, "Israel" will provide immediate legal assistance through its local embassy or the Foreign Ministry’s situation room,” the army said.
“In non-ICC member countries such as the US, China, or India, there is local legislation governing the law of war. These nations are not obligated to act on ICC arrest warrants, but local laws could still pose risks,” it added.
Tel Aviv has hired legal experts to “monitor changes in legislation” in dozens of countries, Ynet reported.
“These lawyers track legal activity against "Israelis" and, if needed, represent soldiers and officers in those countries,” the daily added.
Chief Prosecutor of the ICC Karim Khan announced in late May that the court had applied for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and his former defense minister Yoav Gallant. The applications also included warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammad Deif. The arrest warrants against the two "Israeli" officials were then issued by the ICC on 21 November.
Washington has rejected the ICC decision and previously vowed to take action against the court.
“The US has been clear that the ICC does not have jurisdiction over this matter. In coordination with partners, including "Israel", we are discussing next steps,” a US National Security Council spokesperson told reporters.
