Displaced children are seen by a tent in the northwest of Khan Younis, southern Gaza Strip, on Nov. 12, 2024. (Photo: Xinhua)

 

Following the International Criminal Court's (ICC) decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, China's Foreign Ministry spokesperson said on Friday that on the question of Palestine, China always stands on the side of fairness and justice, and on the side of international law, opposes all acts that violate international law including international humanitarian law, and condemns all moves against civilians and civil facilities. 

Spokesperson Lin Jian said the Gaza conflict is still dragging on and unprecedented humanitarian crisis is unfolding. China supports all effort in the international community conducive to realizing fairness and justice and defending the authority of international law on the question of Palestine. 

We hope the International Criminal Court will maintain an objective and just position, lawfully perform its duties, and interpret and apply the Rome Statute and general international law in its entirety, in good faith and in line with uniform standards, Lin said.

The ICC judges said there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution and starvation as a weapon of war as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza," Reuters reported. 

Following the ICC's decision, however, a rift appears to be intensifying between the US and its allies over the Gaza conflict, Chinese observers said. 

The European Union's foreign policy chief, Josep Borrell said "It is a decision of a court, of a court of justice, of an international court of justice. And the decision of the court has to be respected and implemented," according to Tehran Times. 

Meanwhile, countries including Canada, Australia, Italy, the UK and France have said they are legally obliged to support the ICC ruling, and the Dutch foreign minister even said "The Netherlands is 100% behind the Rome Statute," media reports said. 

By contrast, US President Joe Biden said in his first statement, "Let me be clear once again: whatever the ICC might imply, there is no equivalence - none - between Israel and Hamas. We will always stand with Israel against threats to its security," responding to the ICC decision, which he denounced as "outrageous," according to Times of Israel. 

White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the US would not execute the arrest warrants, and called the ICC move a "flawed process," media reports said.

The US' support for Israel is structural and long-term but in fact, there is a serious political divide on the issue, including within the US. Within the Western camp, due to Israel's policies leading to a severe humanitarian disaster, even Canada and some European countries have begun to express differing opinions, Liu Zhongmin, a professor from the Middle East Studies Institute at Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

Whether it is regarding the arrest warrants from the ICC or previous condemnations and opposition against Israel, a significant gap has formed between the US and Europe, Liu stated. 

Liu said it remains uncertain whether the arrest warrant will actually restrict the travel plans of Netanyahu and Gallant. 

The US biased support for Israel has positioned it against the international community, resulting in increased isolation and significant damage to its soft power, Ding Long, a professor with the Middle East Studies Institute of Shanghai International Studies University, told the Global Times.

The US on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution for a ceasefire in Gaza, drawing criticism against the Biden administration for once again blocking international action aimed at halting the war, Reuters reported. 

Following the arrest warrant, the ICC reached out to member states for cooperation. The court lacks its own police force to carry out arrests and depends on member states to fulfill this responsibility, which they are legally required to do. Israel, like the US, is not a member of the ICC, according to CNN.

When asked how the conflict will be affected following the ICC arrest warrant, Ding believed that despite facing an international outcry, the Israeli prime minister may continue to strike against Hezbollah and Hamas.

Liu said Israel, having already faced severe isolation internationally, is determined to fully implement its policies of eradicating Hamas, as Netanyahu has previously stated.