European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday defended the ICC’s arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, saying it was “not politically motivated.”

“The tragedy in Gaza must stop,” he said, adding that his order was issued by a court and must therefore be respected and implemented accordingly.

The International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas officials. While Israel was accused of war crimes in Gaza, Hamas officials were held responsible for the October 7 attack.

Netanyahu rejected the arrest warrant, saying the order was “anti-Semitic.” “There is nothing more just than the war Israel is waging in Gaza,” he said.

“No war can be more just than the war that Israel has been waging in Gaza since October 7, 2023, when the Hamas terrorist organization committed the greatest massacre against the Jewish people since the Holocaust,” the Prime Minister’s office said. expression.

The decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders comes six months after ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested it.

“The decision to issue an arrest warrant for the Prime Minister was made by a corrupt prosecutor general who was trying to save himself from sexual harassment charges and biased judges motivated by antisemitic hatred of Israel,” Netanyahu’s office said.

The arrest warrant, meanwhile, also drew condemnation from Israeli leaders, who said the ICC operated with an “anti-Semitic bias.”

The United States rejected the charges in the ICC arrest warrant against Israeli leaders.

“The ICC has no credibility and these allegations have been denied by the U.S. government,” said Representative Mike Waltz.

He added: “Israel has lawfully protected its people and borders against genocidal terrorists. You can expect a strong response to the ICC and UN’s anti-Semitic bias in January.

With input from agencies