Israeli minister of Defense Yoav Galant called the International Criminal Court prosecutor's request for arrest warrants against him and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu "disgraceful" an attempt to intervene in the war in Gaza, reported Reuters and News.bg.
"Prosecutor Karim Khan's attempt to deny the State of Israel's right to self-defense and release its hostages must be rejected immediately," Gallant wrote in an X post.
In his statement supporting the request for arrest warrants on Monday, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stressed that Israel has the right to protect its population.
"However, this right does not absolve Israel or any country from their obligation to respect international humanitarian law," he said.
He said that whatever military goals Israel wants to achieve in Gaza, the prosecution believes the means to achieve them - "namely, the intentional infliction of death, starvation, great suffering and serious injury on the civilian population" - were criminal.