The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for saying it may be “justified and moral” to starve Palestinians in Gaza.
In a statement on August 8, the Foreign Ministry described Smotrich’s comments as an “explicit admission of adopting and bragging about the policy of genocide.”.
“The Ministry further affirmed that such [a] statement is considered a direct disregard for international legitimacy decisions and international consensus on protecting civilians and securing their basic humanitarian needs,” the statement said.
The ministry also urged countries around the world to condemn Smotrich and ban him from entering their territory.
Smotrich had said earlier this week that Israel has “no choice” but to allow aid into Gaza in order to maintain what he called “international legitimacy” for the war.
ICC prosecutors are seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yaov Gallant, but not for Smotrich.
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