Tel Aviv, October 2023 - Israel has formally appealed to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in an attempt to suspend arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The ICC has accused them of 'war crimes' during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The arrest warrants, also targeting Hamas's military leader Mohammed Deif, pertain to alleged crimes from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.

In its appeal, Israel questions the ICC's jurisdiction and the validity of the warrants, arguing they demonstrate a bias against Israel.

The Israeli Prime Minister's Office emphasized that rejecting the request would highlight this perceived bias to allies such as the United States.

The warrants have sparked significant political backlash, with Netanyahu accusing the ICC of anti-Semitism and receiving backing from the US and France, who dismiss the court's actions.

Conversely, the UK and Canada, other key Western allies, have expressed their intent to comply with the ICC's ruling.