This is huge: Arrest warrant issued for Netanyahu.

Last week, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant, on allegations that they committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.

This is huge. In this Wire, we’ll break down each allegation in the ICC’s historic decision, why this is a landmark moment, and why it matters for our movements.

Why did the ICC issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant? 

Netanyahu and Gallant stand accused of the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. 

The ICC also “found reasonable grounds to believe” the two Israeli officials “bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.” 

Unsurprisingly, Netanyahu has responded to the warrant by accusing the ICC of antisemitism. And, like clockwork, Biden sprang to his defense, calling the warrants “outrageous.”

1. On the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare

The ICC found that Netanyahu and Gallant had “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,” by “impeding humanitarian aid in violation of international humanitarian law” and through “their failure to facilitate relief.”

2. On the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts

The ICC argued that “the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies created conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza.” This deprivation “resulted in the death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration” — and thus the ICC found “reasonable ground to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant had committed the crime against humanity of murder.

It also accused them of the crime against humanity of persecution, arguing that civilians in Gaza are being targeted on “political” or “national” grounds. Finally, it accused Netanyahu and Gallant of the crime against humanity of other inhumane acts, citing their role in the prevention of medical supplies and medicine from reaching Gaza, which has forced doctors to “carry out amputations, including on children, without anesthetics.” 

3. On the war crime of intentionally targeting civilians

The ICC also “assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza,” citing two incidents that it said “qualified as attacks that were intentionally directed against civilians.”

Why is this so significant?

This is the first time the ICC has issued arrest warrants for so-called “pro-Western” leaders in its entire, over 20-year history, and the first time any international court has done so since WWII. 

Israel’s Prime Minister is now a wanted man who could stand trial for war crimes and crimes against humanity were he to be brought before the ICC. One-hundred and twenty-four countries are members of the court and are legally bound to enforce its decisions. Already, the governments of Canada, Spain, Portugal, Ireland, South Africa, Norway, and the Netherlands, among others, have said they would arrest Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Gallant should they step foot inside their border. 

On the other hand, authoritarian leader Viktor Orban immediately pledged not to enforce the ICC’s arrest warrants and welcomed Netanyahu to Hungary. 

Israel — and the United States, by association — are becoming increasingly isolated on the world stage. By continuing to fund and arm Israel’s genocide, the U.S. government shows where it stands: on the side of the anti-Democratic far-Right.

Why does this matter for our movements?

Over a year into Israel’s genocide, the ICC’s arrest warrants represent a tangible step toward some form of accountability. But for the tens of thousands of Palestinians that the Israeli military has slaughtered in the Gaza genocide, and for the millions it is currently starving to death, true justice is a long way off.

Still, as the Wire argued in January, Israel’s prosecution under international law matters for our movements because it shifts the organizing terrain and opens up new opportunities for escalation.

The ICC’s decision strengthens the case for Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS), demands grounded in international law, and it exposes top officials of states that continue to arm Israel, such as the U.S., to potential charges of “aiding and abetting” war crimes. It represents a new pressure point, one our movements can exploit to hold our elected officials’ feet to the fire at a time when it feels like the paths for change are narrowing. 

With less than two months before Trump’s inauguration, many of us feel terrified about what’s coming — but that doesn’t mean we’re slowing down, just that we need to think creatively about the way we organize going forward. The ICC’s landmark decision has revealed cracks in the facade of Israeli impunity, and it presents new avenues for our movements to seek accountability and demand an end to the genocide. 

Tell the Senate: Stop repressing the Palestine movement.

There are two incredibly dangerous and repressive bills in front of the Senate. Both are part of the broader assault on the movement for Palestinian freedom and progressive causes — and must be defeated. Email your Senators now using this action tool provided by our sister organization, JVP Action.

Having productive conversations about Palestine.

Moving into the holidays, we may struggle to talk to our family members and loved ones about Israeli genocide. 

This toolkit offers skills and approaches for on how to talk to our family members and loved ones about Israeli genocide and our demand for an arms embargo — and how to engage beyond this moment in support of a future of Palestinian liberation.

Find the Wire useful? Support this work with a contribution today.