Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris confirmed on Friday that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would be arrested if he entered Ireland, following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In response to a question from state broadcaster RTE, Harris stated, “Yes, absolutely,” when asked if Ireland would detain Netanyahu. He further added, “We support international courts and we apply their warrants.”
The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant, on Thursday, accusing them of “crimes against humanity and war crimes” committed between October 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024. The charges include using starvation as a method of warfare and deliberately targeting civilians.
Netanyahu dismissed the charges as “absurd and false,” calling the move anti-Semitic.
In addition to the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, leader of Hamas’s military wing. While Israel claims Deif was killed in an airstrike in July, Hamas has not confirmed his death. Harris affirmed that Ireland would execute the warrant for Deif as well, regardless of his current status.
Ireland’s relationship with Israel has become increasingly strained since Dublin recognized the Palestinian state in May, a decision that led Israel to recall its ambassador.
Ireland’s Foreign Minister Micheal Martin also expressed disagreement with US President Joe Biden’s characterization of the arrest warrants as “outrageous,” stating that war crimes have been committed in Gaza, which he described as “collective punishment” and “genocidal.”
