Justice Minister Yariv Levin asked Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara to launch a criminal investigation against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant to stop the International Criminal Court (ICC( from issuing arrest warrants against those two Israeli leaders, Channel 12 News reported.
According to the report, Prime Minister Netanyahu supported the opening of such an investigation, knowing it would be closed eventually, as it would allow the Israeli government to tell the ICC that the accusations against him had been investigated.
The attorney general refused to participate, saying that the ICC would dismiss the investigation as a mere ploy and that nothing short of a State Commission of Inquiry would suffice.
In May, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced that he is seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. He also requested arrest warrants against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, the latter of whom was later eliminated.
On Tuesday, Khan urged the ICC judges to expedite their decision on his request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
Khan canceled a fact-finding mission to Israel at the same time he announced that he is seeking the warrants and has refused to consider evidence that contradicts his claims that Israel has used starvation as a method of warfare, such as a UN report stating there was no famine in Gaza that was released after his request.