"If Netanyahu crosses Colombian territory, we will arrest him," said President Petro regarding the order of the International Criminal Court

 

The president referred again to the decision of the International Criminal Court to issue an arrest warrant against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri also has this order in his name.

President Gustavo Petro has said that his government will abide by and comply with the order of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to arrest, if they set foot in Colombia, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri. The president has questioned on several occasions the Israeli offensive that was deployed in Palestinian territory, which even led to a break in relations between the two countries.

“Colombia respects the decision of the International Criminal Court, we are members of the Treaty of Rome and part of the case that led to this decision. If Netanyahu crosses Colombian territory, we will arrest him,” he said in an interview with the Qatari media Al Jazeera.

He also insisted that what is happening in the Middle East is a “genocide against the Palestinians for political reasons.” Along those lines, he stressed that the objective of the war is “to prevent the establishment of a homeland for the Palestinians.” According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, since the Israeli offensive began in Palestinian territory, more than 44,000 people have been killed.

“What is happening in Gaza and in the Middle East is not just a passing war, it is a threatening message and a terrifying model from the West for the peoples of the south,” he said.

This Friday, through a statement from the Foreign Ministry, the Colombian Government expressed “its recognition and compliance with the arrest warrants issued.” It also reaffirmed “its commitment to peace, within and outside its borders,” as well as “its position regarding what has been happening to the Palestinian people and the genocidal action perpetrated by the Israeli government.”

“The Colombian government reiterates its firm belief in the principles of multilateralism and an international order based on international law. Therefore, it respects and will abide by the decisions issued by the ICC and other bodies responsible for dispensing justice at a global level,” the statement reads.

(El Espectador)