France has voiced its support for the International Criminal Court and its “fight against impunity”, as the court’s prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders laid bare deep divisions in the EU over the war in Gaza.
Karim Khan sought warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and defence minister Yoav Gallant, along with three Hamas leaders, saying he had “reasonable grounds to believe” they bore “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes during the fighting.
The announcement triggered unanimous condemnation in Israel — with Netanyahu denouncing it as “absurd and false . . . and a distortion of reality” — as well as fierce criticism from US President Joe Biden, Israel’s staunchest international ally. But in the EU, reactions were mixed.