Outgoing European Union (EU) foreign policy chief Josep Borrell on Thursday urged all EU member states to respect the decisions of the International Criminal Court (ICC), including the arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
"We cannot undermine the International Criminal Court. It is the only way of having global justice," Borrell said to reporters in Brussels as his tenure as the EU's top diplomat draws to a close this month, as quoted by the Reuters news agency.
He insisted that the ICC is “not political. It's a legal body formed by respected people who are the best among the profession of judges."
The ICC issued arrest warrants last week for Netanyahu, Gallant, and a Hamas leader over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the Gaza conflict.
Despite all EU member states being signatories to the ICC's founding treaty, France stated on Wednesday that Netanyahu has immunity from ICC actions because Israel has not ratified the court’s statutes. Similarly, Italy has argued that arresting Netanyahu would not be feasible while he remains in office as Israel's Prime Minister.
Thursday’s comments mark the second time in recent days that Borrell has stressed the importance of EU member states enforcing the arrest warrants.
Last Saturday, Borrell told Reuters that EU member states cannot selectively decide whether to enforce the ICC arrest warrants.
Those comments came after Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban invited Netanyahu to visit Hungary, assuring him that he would not face arrest.
Borrell has repeatedly criticized Israel in the past year over its conduct during the war in Gaza.
In January, Borrell asserted that Israel had "created" and "financed" Hamas. Later, he repeated that claim when pressed about it by reporters.
Borrell previously condemned Hamas for using "hospitals and civilians as human shields" in Gaza, but also urged Israel to show "maximum restraint" to protect civilians from the war it is waging against Hamas.
In February, the EU foreign affairs chief urged allies of Israel -- primarily the United States -- to stop sending it weapons as "too many people" are being killed in Gaza.