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The international criminal court also issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Yoav Gallant and Hamas’s Mohammed Deif. Plus, Trump picks Bondi for attorney general after Gaetz withdraws
Good morning.
The international criminal court has issued arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, the country’s former defense minister Yoav Gallant and the Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif – over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
What did the chamber say? There are “reasonable grounds to believe that both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity”.
What does it mean? The court has no police force, so we’re unlikely to see them standing trial anytime soon, but the ruling holds strong moral weight. Netanyahu and Gallant are at risk of arrest if they travel to any of the 124 countries that signed the Rome statute establishing the court.
What was the reaction? The move was broadly welcomed by human rights groups. But Joe Biden said it was “outrageous” and Netanyahu’s office called it “antisemitic”.
Why has Trump picked Bondi? It is likely to be because of loyalty. She became a fierce defender of his candidacy in 2016, helped with Trump’s legal defense during his first impeachment trial, parroted claims that the 2020 election was stolen, and continued working as a surrogate through the 2024 campaign when she attended Trump’s criminal trial in New York.
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