EU spokesperson Peter Stano stated that all EU member states are obligated to execute arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), including those recently issued for two senior Israeli officials linked to the ongoing war in Gaza. Stano emphasised the EU’s commitment to international criminal justice and the fight against impunity, specifically referencing the warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ICC’s landmark decision to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant has prompted varied responses across EU countries. While some member states have confirmed they would enforce the warrants should the officials enter their territory, others have been less decisive, with one nation explicitly stating that no arrests would be made. These developments follow the deaths of over 44,000 people, most of them women and children, since October 2023. Gallant, dismissed earlier this month, had played a key role in the conflict.

The war in Gaza, launched by Israel following a Hamas attack, has faced widespread international condemnation, with many describing it as genocidal due to its devastating civilian toll and the ongoing blockade of humanitarian aid. Israel is also contending with a separate genocide case at the International Court of Justice. Stano reaffirmed the EU’s support for the ICC, the principles of the Rome Statute, and the court’s mandate to prosecute the most serious international crimes, stressing the obligation of all member states that have ratified the statute to execute ICC-issued arrest warrants.