Italy looking to block arrest warrant for Netanyahu – media

Italy is pushing for a suspension of the arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, issued last week by the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Italian media reports.

A signatory to the Rome Statute, the country is legally bound to adhere to ICC decisions.

Italian Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani reportedly tabled the proposal during a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Italy on Monday. Calling for a unified G7 position on the arrest warrant, Tajani suggested that the criminal proceedings could be suspended until the end of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, the newspaper Il Messaggero has reported.

The Hague-based ICC announced on Thursday that it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the Gaza conflict. The court has jurisdiction over the West Bank and Gaza, which are considered occupied Palestinian territories under international law.

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