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Modi in Israel: All that happened during PM’s historic trip

Narendra modi became the first prime minister from india to visit israel in the last 70 years. seven agreements were signed between the two countries. post his three day historic visit to israel, the prime minister is scheduled to fly to germany to attend the g20 summit..

Prime Minister Narendra Modi who was on a three-day visit to Israel concluded his trip on Thursday. The tour was historic not only because Modi is the first sitting Indian Prime Minister to visit the Jewish state but also because significant agreements were signed between India and Israel that could be beneficial to both the countries in the long run. Here is everything that happened on Modi’s Israel visit.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu himself was at the Ben Gurion Airport to receive Modi when he landed there on Tuesday. The Indian Prime Minister was given a grand official welcome and was warmly embraced by Netanyahu who told Modi, “Aapka swagat hai mere dost.” Modi also thanked his Israeli counterpart for receiving him and emphasised that India considers Israel as an important development partner. He also hailed the sacrifices of Yonatan Netanyahu who was killed during Operation Entebbe.

From the airport, Modi headed to Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm. Here he got a flower named after him as a token of remembrance. He also visited Yad Vashem, the Hall of Names, attended the memorial ceremony in the Hall of Remembrance, toured the Children’s Memorial and signed the Yad Vashem Guest Book. He also made an unscheduled stop at Mt. Herzl in Jerusalem to pay respect to the modern zionism founder.

On the second day, PM Modi met President Reuven Rivlin in Jerusalem and recalled Israel’s First Citizen’s visit to India last year. “The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India,” PM Modi tweeted. Hailing the ties between the two nations, Modi said, “I for I. Which means India for Israel and Israel for India.” Later he met Benjamin Netanyahu over talks to enhance ties between the two countries. Both the ministers addressed the media for a joint statement in which they focused on terrorism called for global cooperation in fighting the menace.

In a special gesture, PM Modi met Moshe Holtzberg, the Israeli child who survived the 26/11 Mumbai terror attacks, and invited him to India. He also met Moshe’s Indian nanny Sandra Samuels, who managed to escape with the child when the terrorists attacked.

Benjamin Netanyahu called Modi’s visit groundbreaking and said that he sees ‘history in making’ in their talks. India and Israel then signed seven agreements in key areas like space, water management, energy and agriculture. A Memorandum of Understanding was signed to set up $40 million worth India-Israel Industrial Research and Development (R&D) and Technical Innovation Fund.

Two agreements were signed in the sector to increase cooperation on water conservation and state water utility reform in India. Both the countries also agreed for India-Israle Development Coopeartion, a three year work programme in the agriculture sector. They also launched a five-year technology fund.

Later PM Modi addressed the Indian community in Isreal at Tel Aviv Convention Centre. During the meeting, Modi announced that Israeli citizens of Indian origin would be given Overseas Citizen of India (OCI) cards, even if they have served in the Israeli military. He also promised direct flights connecting the two countries. “The Jewish community has enriched India with their contribution in various fields. Israel has shown that more than size, it is the spirit that matters. Our ties with Israel are about mutual trust and friendship,” Modi said.

PM Modi also announced that an Indian Cultural Centre would be set up in Israel. He also invited the Israeli companies to come and participate in the ‘Make in India’ initiative of the government. He emphasised on the ease of doing business in India which had recently adpoted GST.

Prime Minister Modi gifted replicas of two sets of relics from Kerala that are “regarded as key artifacts in the long Jewish history in India” to his Israeli counterpart. Modi also presented him with a Torah scroll donated by the Paradesi Jewish community in Kerala and a metal crown from South India.

The two leaders made a joint statement on varied fields like terrorism, technology and defence. On the developments pertaining to the Israeli-Palestinian Peace Process, the leaders reaffirmed their support for an early negotiated solution based on mutual recognition and security arrangements.

On the last day of his trip, PM Modi along with PM Netanyahu paid homage to the soldiers in Haifa. He laid a wreath at the cemetery that contains the graves of Indian soldiers who had died during the First World War. He also unveiled a plaque commemorating Major Dalpat Singh, known as the ‘Hero of Haifa’ for his critical role in the liberation of the city.

Later he visited Dor Beach with his Israeli counterpart. Both the leaders were seen enjoying the light breeze at the beach. Modi was also given a demonstration of a mobile seawater desalination unit.

Later the Israeli Prime Minister hosted the Indian Prime Minister for a special luncheon with Israeli and Indian business leaders. PM Netanyahu also gifted Modi a picture of them strolling at the beach as a token of his visit. The Indian Prime Minister concluded his trip by interacting with Indian students in Tel Aviv. He was bid farewell by PM Benjamin Netanyahu in a ceremony at Ben Gurion International Airport.

Thank you my friend, PM @netanyahu for the signed photo, your kind words, amazing hospitality & passion towards #IndiaIsraelFriendship . pic.twitter.com/1jUtMG3F85 — Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 6, 2017

Post his historic visit to Israel, the prime minister is scheduled to fly to Germany to attend the G20 Summit.

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LIVE: PM Narendra Modi Has Good News For Israelis Of Indian Origin

PM Narendra Modi and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu at Tel Aviv Convention Centre.

Here is the live coverage of PM Narendra Modi's 3-day visit to Israel:

PM announces flight to connect Delhi-Mumbai-Tel Aviv. Says young Israelis would be especially welcome in India - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

PM announces OCI card for those Indian origin persons who have done compulsory military service in Israel pic.twitter.com/0KBF5yOwqD - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

🇮🇱 🇮🇳 pic.twitter.com/2JEtjAVWpY - Benjamin Netanyahu (@netanyahu) July 5, 2017

With the aim of 'housing for all' we have placed emphasis on the construction and the real estate sector: PM @narendramodi - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

With GST we are aiming towards the economic integration of India: PM @narendramodi - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

We have introduced 100% FDI in key sectors, which will help our economy: PM @narendramodi - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Jewish community has enriched India with their contribution in various fields: PM @narendramodi - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Mayors of various Israeli cities have also joined us today. Their love for India has drawn them here, I thank them: PM @narendramodi - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Celebrating the cultural linkages btw #IsraelIndia . The leaders visit Jewish museum, examine exhibits dedicated to India's jewish heritage pic.twitter.com/hZZLLuJDoF - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

The photo depicts Indian soldiers leading a British military column to librate Jerusalem (December 11, 1917). pic.twitter.com/cgnZS590Iq - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Living bridges of excellence between #IndiaIsrael . PM meets three Pravasi Bharatiya Samman Awardees from Israel pic.twitter.com/ze1laYZoD8 - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

An emotional moment reminiscent of horrific terrorist attack. PM @narendramodi meets Moshe, the boy who survived 26/11 Mumbai attack in 2008 pic.twitter.com/YH9cQqjo3R - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

PM ends:Tomorrow I will travel to Haifa to pay homage to brave Indian soldiers.It has been a productive & memorable 24 hours in🇮🇱. Shalom! - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

We also discussed the situation in West Asia and the wider region. It is India's hope that peace, dialogue and restraint will prevail: PM - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

Prime Minister @netanyahu and I agreed to do much more together to protect our strategic interests: PM @narendramodi #IndiaIsraelFriendship - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

PM @netanyahu calls PM's visit groundbreaking and emphasises that he sees history in making in his talks w PM - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

PM mentions his stay n interactions in Israel since y'day reflect trust n clarity in the unfolding chapter in rlns - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

PM begins delgn talks w exprsng thanks to PM @netanyahu for hosting d historic visit n playing a crucial role in writing imp chapter in rlns - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

Expanding perspectives. PM @narendramodi and PM @netanyahu before start of restricted talks pic.twitter.com/Wf2FIZZAzY - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

Taking yesterday's discussions forward. PM @narendramodi and PM @netanyahu meet for restricted talks in Jerusalem. pic.twitter.com/ytZbz7pkcB - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

Beginning the morning with the First Citizen! Day 2 in Jerusalem starts with PM @narendramodi calling on President @PresidentRuvi pic.twitter.com/u62W6mT6xI - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

PM recalls that Prez Rivlin's phrase 'Make with India' is echoed in Israel and has percolates to all levels pic.twitter.com/mk6cqQ8lBs - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 5, 2017

The President of Israel welcomed me so warmly, he broke protocol. This is a mark of respect for the people of India: PM @narendramodi pic.twitter.com/r6eFdlrYwz - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 5, 2017

PM begins statement before dinner with PM Netanyahu:I thank my good friend PM @Netanyahu & Mrs Sara fr opening their home to me today pic.twitter.com/T6yWENjnyB - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 4, 2017

PM Netanyahu and @PMOIndia Modi visited @yadvashem . The two leaders toured the Hall of Names and participated in a memorial ceremony. pic.twitter.com/wT796pBOHt - PM of Israel (@IsraeliPM) July 4, 2017

Before departing the Yad Vashem complex the leaders visited the Grave of Theodor Herzl - Chozeh HaMedinah(lit. "Visionary of the State") pic.twitter.com/J8e4GAtJul - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 4, 2017

So that the light of humanity always shines through us. PM pays homage to 6 million lives lost in the Holocaust at Yad Vashem Memorial pic.twitter.com/qeRnTB518t - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 4, 2017

New fast-growing Israeli Crysanthumun flower named in honor of PM @narendramodi and will be called "MODI". Indeed, a #GrowingPartnership ! pic.twitter.com/xj00nW2yUk - Israel ישראל (@Israel) July 4, 2017

Reaffirming potential of deeper cooperation in Agriculture! PMs visit Danziger Flower farm-a leading facility for R&D in plant varieties pic.twitter.com/4Krb4lUu25 - Gopal Baglay (@MEAIndia) July 4, 2017

"When it comes to Israel- #India relations, the sky is the limit!" - @IsraeliPM #ModiInIsrael #GrowingPartnership pic.twitter.com/cyDJ5vLsrz - Israel Foreign Min. (@IsraelMFA) July 4, 2017

#ModiInIsrael | Welcome, my friend, we love India, says @IsraeliPM @netanyahu to PM @narendramodi https://t.co/pWqrVdELeN - NDTV (@ndtv) July 4, 2017

Partners for peace and prosperity, partners for a better future for humanity...PM @netanyahu welcomes PM @narendramodi to Israel. pic.twitter.com/mZgl8pAqz2 - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2017

India is an old civilisation but young nation. We have a talented and skilled youth, who are our driving force: PM @narendramodi - PMO India (@PMOIndia) July 4, 2017

I am confident of the real mathematics of life, of success of our partnership for many reasons; talent of our people: Israeli PM pic.twitter.com/7ES4CrP3FQ - ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

Eagle has landed. #ModiInIsrael pic.twitter.com/PaanwOGD8x - vijeta uniyal (@iUniyal) July 4, 2017

PM Narendra Modi arrives in Israel in the first-ever visit to the country by an Indian PM pic.twitter.com/UDwLMfKFaL - ANI (@ANI_news) July 4, 2017

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All the details: Historic first Israel visit by Indian prime minister

Tune into jpost.com for live coverage of the visit starting with narendra modi's arrival at ben-gurion airport at 4 p.m..

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With visit to Ramallah, Narendra Modi becomes first Indian prime minister to visit Israel and Palestine

India's foreign ministry said ahead of the prime minister's trip to ramallah that new delhi sees its relations with israel and palestine as "mutually independent and exclusive.".

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• Modi is the first Indian PM to visit Israel and Palestine
• Today, he was conferred the highest order Palestine bestows on foreign dignitaries
• India sees its ties with Israel, Palestine as mutually independent and excluive

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday became the first Indian premier to set foot in Palestine, months after he made a similarly unprecedented visit to Israel last year.

Modi expressed hope on India's behalf that Palestine would attain freedom peacefully , shortly after being conferred the highest order the sovereign state bestows on foreign dignitaries.

India's foreign ministry said ahead of the prime minister's trip that New Delhi see its relations with Israel and Palestine as "mutually independent and exclusive."

I consider it an honour to be in Palestine. I bring with me the goodwill and greetings of the people of India. Here are my remarks at the joint press meet with President Abbas. https://t.co/lUWKPB9Nxe pic.twitter.com/3uUPtuh4gP Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) February 10, 2018

The policy of "de-hyphenation" has been seen positively in Palestine, for it's no longer is considered a 'tail' of Israel: In other words, when Tel-Aviv gets the main visit, and Ramallah is only paid a courtesy visit.

Palestine's Ambassador to India, Adnan Abu Alhaijaa, recently told India Today that Modi can play a significant role in restoring normalcy to the strife-torn region.

"When Mr Modi visited Israel, I met the highest levels of Indian foreign ministry and they told me that India deals with Palestine as an independent country. They don't deal with Palestine as a tail of Israel," Alhaijaa said.

The prime minister's visit to Ramallah comes weeks after he welcomed his Israeli counterpart, Benjamin Netanyahu, to India.

Netanyahu has called his country's relationship with India a partnership " made in heaven ." But during his visit to India, he expressed disappointment with New Delhi's decision to to vote in favour of a UN resolution that called for the US to drop its recent recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital.

However, he stressed that he didn't think one vote affected the general trend of India-Israel relations, which he said was moving forward on many fronts.

(Inputs from Geeta Mohan, and agencies)

WATCH | Prime Minister Narendra Modi's full speech in Ramallah

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PM to visit Israel as concerns grow over Middle East conflict

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Rishi Sunak will arrive in Israel on Thursday, commencing a two-day trip to the wider region as concerns grow over the conflict in the Middle East .

The Prime Minister will meet the country’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, and President Isaac Herzog following US President Joe Biden’s visit on Wednesday in a diplomatic bid to prevent fighting from spiralling into a larger crisis.

He will press for the route into Gaza to be opened as soon as possible to allow the delivery of humanitarian aid and the exit of those trapped in the territory, No 10 said.

The visit will be part of a trip to the wider region during which the Prime Minister will also travel to a number of capitals to meet counterparts.

Ahead of his trip, the Prime Minister said: “Every civilian death is a tragedy. And too many lives have been lost following Hamas’s horrific act of terror.

“The attack on al Ahli Hospital should be a watershed moment for leaders in the region and across the world to come together to avoid further dangerous escalation of conflict. I will ensure the UK is at the forefront of this effort.”

There had been reports earlier this week that Mr Sunak was planning a visit to Israel but he would not confirm them up until Wednesday evening.

In parallel to Mr Sunak’s travel, Foreign Secretary James Cleverly will visit Egypt, Turkey and Qatar in the coming days to underscore the UK’s message.

Mr Cleverly said: ““It is in no one’s interests – neither Israeli, Palestinian nor the wider Middle East – for others to be drawn into this conflict.

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“I am meeting counterparts from influential states in the region to push for calm and stability, facilitate humanitarian access into Gaza and work together to secure the release of hostages.”

Israel said on Wednesday it will allow Egypt to deliver limited quantities of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip amid its siege following surprise attacks by Hamas on October 7.

It came as Palestinians reeled from a massive blast at a Gaza City hospital that killed hundreds and as civilians grew increasingly desperate as food and water supplies ran out.

There were conflicting claims of who was responsible for the explosion, with Hamas officials quickly blaming it on an Israeli air strike.

Israel denied involvement and said the blast was instead due to a rocket misfire by Islamic Jihad, another militant group operating in Gaza. Islamic Jihad dismissed the claim.

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Israel / Iran / terrorism / Hamas / Syria / Hezbollah / Iranian nuclear program / Palestinian Authority / United Nations

In Historic First, Indian PM Modi to Visit Israel

by TheTower.org Staff | 06.02.15 8:13 am

Narendra Modi, who was elected prime minister of India last year, will be the first Indian leader to visit Israel, The Times of India reported today.

Narendra Modi will be the first Indian prime minister to travel to Israel, a visit that will finally bring one of the world’s close relationships out of the closet. While dates for the trip are yet to be fixed, foreign minister Sushma Swaraj announced she would visit Israel later this year, along with Palestine and Jordan…. India recognized Israel in 1950 but soon after voted against it in the UN. Diplomatic ties were established by Narasimha Rao’s government in 1991, though there had been some unofficial contacts earlier, as in the famous visits by Moshe Dayan…. Ariel Sharon was the first Israeli PM to visit India in 2003, but there have been no high-level visits from India since. Former Israeli president Shimon Peres visited India, but in the past decade, while the real relationship progressed quickly, it was only former foreign minister S M Krishna who travelled to Jerusalem.

The Times observed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is one of the few world leaders that Modi refers to as “my friend,” and that Netanyahu was the only world leader who had a bilateral meeting with Modi last year at the United Nations General Assembly.

The Times of Israel added :

The Modi trip would culminate a steady improvement in bilateral ties since Israel and India formalized full diplomatic relations in 1992. However, it would not be the Indian politician’s first time in Israel; Modi visited Israel during his term as chief minister of Gurajat province, a position he held from 2001 to 2014. … In February Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon met Modi in Delhi, marking a new phase in which previously hushed-up defense deals between the countries were brought out into the open. Israel and India have also signed recent deals on agriculture and cyber-security projects.

The Times of Israel also pointed out that improving ties with Israel was one of Modi’s foreign policy priorities.

Modi’s election was hailed as the beginning of closer ties between the two countries. Even before his election, trade between India and Israel exceeded $6 billion annually . Last fall, a number of missile deals were announced between the two countries. Israel and India are jointly developing the Barak-8 surface-to-air missile. Two Indian IT giants,  Tech Mahindra and Infosys , have expanded their operations in Israel. While visiting Israel last month, Davendra Fadnavis, chief minister of the Indian state of Maharashtra, praised  Israeli agricultural technology for enabling his state to improve its crop yields.

[Photo: IsraeliPM / YouTube ]

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Chinese military practiced Taiwan invasion manoeuvres in 2023, says US general

Chinese military drills in the straits of Taiwan in 2023 practiced manoeuvres key to an invasion of the island, although an actual attack was not imminent or inevitable, a senior US general in the region said on Thursday.

Middle East Crisis Israeli Officials Challenge Netanyahu, Laying Bare Government Divisions

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Netanyahu may face little risk from a rival’s political ultimatum, analysts say.

With his emergency war cabinet on the brink of disintegrating over what opponents view as his dithering prosecution of Israel’s offensive in Gaza, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has been challenged to make some stark choices by his two main partners in running the military campaign.

Mr. Netanyahu’s defense minister, Yoav Gallant, from his own conservative Likud party, and Benny Gantz, a centrist former military chief and Netanyahu rival who joined the government soon after the Hamas-led Oct. 7 attack that prompted the war, have demanded that the Israeli leader come up with a decisive strategy. While their demands laid bare the divisions in Mr. Netanyahu’s wartime government, analysts said they were unlikely to bring about major change.

Both Mr. Gallant and Mr. Gantz have implicitly accused the Israeli leader in recent days of putting his political survival ahead of national security. They are demanding that Mr. Netanyahu choose between an endgame that would leave postwar Gaza under Israeli military control, as his far-right coalition partners want, or, as they suggest, have some kind of Palestinian alternative to Hamas take over with international support.

More broadly, they have called on him to stop appeasing his hard-line political allies at the expense of any semblance of national consensus, even as he continues to send Israeli soldiers into battle.

Mr. Gantz set an ultimatum , saying on Saturday that his National Unity party would quit the government by June 8 should Mr. Netanyahu choose “the path of the zealots” and fail to pave a strategic path forward.

But his party’s exit alone would not loosen Mr. Netanyahu’s hold on power: The far-right and religiously ultraconservative coalition he formed after the November 2022 election would still command a majority of 64 seats in the 120-seat Parliament. Still, it would leave Mr. Netanyahu in a more precarious position, reliant on his hard-line partners and with less domestic and international legitimacy.

“Gantz’s problem is that he can’t alone produce a war and postwar strategy, pressure Netanyahu to come up with one or create enough pressure to bring down the current Israeli government,” said Aaron David Miller, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace.

The demands presented by Mr. Gantz and Mr. Gallant come as pressure is growing in Israel for clear government decisions that will bring home the 128 hostages remaining in Gaza, of whom an unknown number are already dead, and also dismantle Hamas’s military capabilities and ability to lead in Gaza.

Those goals may be mutually exclusive, analysts say, since Hamas is demanding an Israeli commitment to end the war as a condition for any hostage deal.

Some critics saw Mr. Gantz’s move as too hesitant, calling into question his credentials as an electable alternative to Mr. Netanyahu.

“A three-week ultimatum? That’s ridiculous!” said Mitchell Barak, an Israeli pollster and analyst who worked as an aide to Mr. Netanyahu in the 1990s.

Between now and June 8, Mr. Barak said, any number of things could happen in Israeli politics, in Gaza and elsewhere. “It makes him look not serious,” he added.

Mr. Gantz left the parliamentary opposition in October out of a sense of national responsibility, he said at the time, and joined the war cabinet as one of its three principal members, along with Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant.

Mr. Gallant has demanded that Mr. Netanyahu engage in a serious discussion about who, or what, should replace Hamas in a postwar Gaza. He challenged the prime minister to state clearly whether or not he supports his far-right partners’ agenda of Israeli military rule in the enclave and said last week that he had tried to advance a plan for a “non-hostile Palestinian governing alternative” to Hamas, without elaborating.

Some analysts also said that Mr. Gantz’s demands were largely amorphous and that his own suggestions lacked clarity.

Mr. Gantz called for the hostages to be brought home, for Hamas control to end and for the Gaza Strip to be disarmed — without saying how to achieve those goals.

Even as he called for a day-after strategy for Gaza, Mr. Gantz went along with Mr. Netanyahu in saying that the Palestinian Authority, led by President Mahmoud Abbas, should not take over Gaza — flouting the position of the United States, Israel’s most important international ally.

Instead, Mr. Gantz called more vaguely for a U.S.-European-Arab-Palestinian administration that would run civilian affairs in Gaza and “lay the foundations for a future alternative that is neither Hamas nor Abbas.”

— Isabel Kershner reporting from Jerusalem

The U.S. national security adviser met with Netanyahu.

The U.S. national security adviser, Jake Sullivan, met with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday as the United States and other countries push Israel to limit its incursion into Rafah, where Israel had initially encouraged Palestinians to seek safety.

The United States has repeatedly called on Israel not to launch a full-scale invasion of Rafah, the southernmost city in Gaza. Although Israel has labeled its current operation “limited,” about 800,000 people have fled after evacuation orders, while satellite imagery shows widening destruction .

The prime minister’s office said after the meeting that the two men had discussed the fighting in Gaza, with an emphasis on Rafah, humanitarian aid and efforts to return the hostages held in Gaza.

Mr. Sullivan was expected to stress the need for a targeted approach to fighting Hamas in Gaza and to emphasize American opposition to a full-scale attack on Rafah. Earlier this month, President Biden said in an interview with CNN that the United States would not supply weapons for a major Israeli offensive in Rafah. In a hearing in the Senate in May, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin told lawmakers that the United States had paused a shipment of heavy bombs to Israel, citing concern about a sweeping invasion of the city.

The Israeli military said its forces were pressing on in the eastern outskirts of Rafah on Saturday, and aid officials in the western part of the city said they heard strikes and artillery fire. Hamas said its fighters had fired on Israeli troops in eastern Rafah and close to the Rafah border crossing with Egypt.

Last week, Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken warned that recent gains in getting desperately needed humanitarian aid to people in the Gaza Strip risked being undone by the fighting in southern Gaza, and he called for a “clear concrete plan” for postwar governance in Gaza.

At the same time, talks for a cease-fire to release at least some Israeli hostages appear to be stalled. The prime minister of Qatar, which has been acting as an intermediary between Israel and Hamas, said last week that negotiations were at “almost a stalemate” and had been set back by Israel’s military offensive in Rafah.

Mr. Sullivan’s trip to Israel followed meetings in Saudi Arabia, a visit that was scheduled to happen last month but was delayed after he cracked a rib. In the interim, tensions between the United States and Israel over the Rafah invasion and Israel’s conduct of the war have escalated.

Mr. Sullivan visited Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman on Saturday to discuss a possible Middle East peace deal that would normalize relations between Saudi Arabia and Israel and create a Palestinian state. The deal would also involve a U.S.-Saudi mutual defense pact and cooperation on a civilian nuclear program in the kingdom .

During their meeting, Prince Mohammed and Mr. Sullivan reviewed a “nearly-final draft” of strategic agreements between the two countries, which are “almost finished,” according to a statement published by the official Saudi Press Agency. It said the two governments continued to work on a “credible pathway” toward creating a Palestinian state that will “satisfy the aspirations and legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.”

But Mr. Netanyahu has been resistant to the deal, pushing back on talks of a Palestinian state. Mr. Sullivan was expected to try to advance the deal in his meeting with the Israeli leader.

Vivian Nereim contributed reporting.

— Matt Surman

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‘We’re still afraid’: Gazans flee Jabaliya as Israel’s military launches a new offensive.

The northern town of Jabaliya had already come under fierce attacks from the Israeli military earlier in the war, killing many civilians and demolishing large parts of the suburb. So, as Israeli ground forces moved to other parts of the Gaza Strip and military strikes focused elsewhere, residents thought they had experienced their worst days.

But last week, the Israeli military dropped leaflets again over Jabaliya, where tens of thousands of people are living, ordering them to leave as it prepared to launch a renewed offensive.

“When the Israelis dropped the leaflets, people were terrified, especially given what they experienced previously,” said Iman Abu Jalhum, 23, who graduated from medical school two months before the war began and has been volunteering in hospitals treating the wounded. “We thought given that we have already been attacked that we were safe; the Israelis have already been here.”

Soon after the leaflets dropped, so too did the bombs, she said. Ms. Abu Jalhum, her 16-year-old sister and her parents fled their home under bombardment. She only had time to throw a few items of clothing into a bag and put on her prayer shawl.

Her father, who has back issues, struggled to walk along the road. Eventually, they found a donkey cart to take him the rest of the way, a few miles south.

Israel said it had renewed the offensive in Jabaliya on May 11 because Hamas was trying to reassemble its infrastructure and operatives in the area. Hamas accused Israel of “escalating its aggression against civilians all across Gaza” and vowed to continue fighting.

At least 15 civilians were killed in Israeli airstrikes on Saturday in Jabaliya and 30 others wounded, according to Wafa, the Palestinian Authority’s official news agency. Ambulance and emergency crews have been unable to reach the area to rescue the injured and retrieve the bodies, it reported.

The Israeli military on Saturday said it had “engaged and eliminated” Hamas fighters in Jabaliya in a number of battles and located several tunnel shafts. Hamas said that its fighters destroyed an Israeli tank south of Jabaliya.

Ms. Abu Jalhum and her family are among at least 64,000 people who were displaced from Jabaliya and a neighboring town in the past week, according to the main U.N. agency aiding Palestinians, UNRWA.

They are now sheltering a few miles south in a bombed-out building, where the smell of dead bodies that have not yet been recovered hangs in the air. Strikes still hit nearby, she says, but there are fewer explosions and no clashes between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters.

On Thursday, Ms. Abu Jalhum tried to go back to Jabaliya to check on her home, walking for 45 minutes along streets covered in debris. But as she neared her neighborhood, explosions were hitting too close to continue, she said.

“Yes, we have some courage, but we’re still afraid,” she said. “You might see martyrs killed in the street that no one can reach. You’re afraid there could be a sniper. The drones might target anyone there walking in the streets.”

Her family has had to flee several times during the course of the seven-month war, and they have always gone to stay with relatives in the same area. This time, the offensive is more expansive and intense, she said.

“We just want to go home,” she said, adding, “We’re so exhausted. You see it in our faces. We want to cry at times, but we’re unable to.”

— Raja Abdulrahim

In Israel, Stefanik denounces Biden and praises Trump.

Representative Elise Stefanik on Sunday addressed some lawmakers at Israel’s Parliament, denouncing President Biden for delaying some military aid to the country and praising former President Donald J. Trump as a true ally of the Jewish state.

Ms. Stefanik, Republican of New York, defended Israel’s military campaign and urged the country to pursue total victory in the war against Hamas.

“There is no excuse for an American president to block aid to Israel,” said Ms. Stefanik, who addressed the gathering at the Knesset. “I have been a leading proponent and partner to President Trump in his historic support for Israeli independence and security.”

Ms. Stefanik’s speech — which she said was made at the invitation of Amir Ohana, the speaker of Israel’s Parliament — builds on Republican attempts to capitalize on Democratic divisions over Israel’s response to the Oct. 7 attacks.

A spokesman for Mr. Biden said there was “no better friend to Israel” than the current president.

“He was the first American president to visit Israel during wartime — in the aftermath of the horrific Oct. 7th terrorist attacks — and the first president to order the U.S. military to defend Israel from a foreign nation’s attack,” a White House spokesman, Andrew Bates, said in a statement. “President Biden’s support for Israel’s security is ironclad. Unlike some figures on the right, President Biden did not rail against the Israeli government in the days after Oct. 7, nor has he ever praised terrorist organizations like Hezbollah, and he will not be lectured by any person who was silent in the face of those offensive statements.”

The Israeli Parliament is currently in recess. Ms. Stefanik addressed the Knesset Caucus for Jewish and Pro-Israel Students on Campuses Around the World, according to The Times of Israel . Her remarks, in which she also attacked U.S. colleges for failing to protect Jewish students from antisemitism, appeared intended to curry favor with Mr. Trump, who has mentioned Ms. Stefanik as a potential running mate.

Ms. Stefanik was once a Trump critic but has reinvented herself over the past few years as one of his most outspoken defenders — echoing his policies and his rhetoric alike. In recent months, she has been the face of a House panel that has interrogated university presidents over allegations of antisemitism on campus.

Ms. Stefanik, a former George W. Bush White House aide, has positioned herself as one of Mr. Trump’s most loyal defenders in Congress, a role she initially staked out during his first impeachment in 2019.

Her prepared remarks for Sunday mentioned Mr. Trump by name several times while highlighting several of his administration’s accomplishments, including a package of Middle East deals known as the Abraham Accords and moving the U.S. Embassy in Israel to Jerusalem from Tel Aviv.

— Matthew Mpoke Bigg and Michael C. Bender

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War crimes prosecutor seeks arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu

Karim Khan said that he believes Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned the move by ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan to seek his arrest as an “outrageous decision” and “an attempt to deny Israel the basic right of self-defense.” In his statement, Netanyahu also vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas militants.

Thousands of Israelis protested outside the Knesset in Jerusalem on Monday, while lawmakers opened the Summer session. Street demonstrators called for immediate elections and the release of all the hostages in Gaza. Many Israelis, anguished over the hostages and accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of putting political interests ahead of all else, want a deal to stop the fighting. (AP Video/Moshe Edril)

This combination of photos from clock-wise from top left shows Ismail Haniyeh, the leader of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, in Beirut, Lebanon, on June 28, 2021; Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, Israel on Oct. 28, 2023; Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in Tel Aviv on Oct. 16, 2023 and Yehya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, in Gaza City, Wednesday, April 13, 2022. (AP Photo)

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FILE - Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu chairs a cabinet meeting at the Kirya military base, which houses the Israeli Ministry of Defense, in Tel Aviv, Israel, on Dec. 24, 2023. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday, May 20, 2024 he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas. (AP Photo/Ohad Zwigenberg, Pool, File)

Yahya Sinwar, head of Hamas in Gaza, greets his supporters during a meeting with leaders of Palestinian factions at his office in Gaza City, Wednesday, April 13, 2022. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas. Yahya Sinwar is one of the three Hamas leaders believed to be responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel. (AP Photo/Adel Hana)

Hamas chief Ismail Haniyeh speaks during a press briefing after his meeting with Iranian Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian in Tehran, Iran, Tuesday, March 26, 2024. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas. Haniyeh is one of the three Hamas leaders believed to be responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel. (AP Photo/Vahid Salemi, File)

Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant pauses while making a brief statement to the media with U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken, not pictured, at The Kirya, Israel’s Ministry of Defense, Monday, Oct. 16, 2023, in Tel Aviv. The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday, May 20, 2024, he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war between Israel and Hamas. Netanyahu, his defense minister Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, are believed to be responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin, Pool, File)

JERUSALEM (AP) — The chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court sought arrest warrants Monday for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, over actions taken during their seven-month war.

While Netanyahu and his defense minister, Yoav Gallant, do not face imminent arrest, the announcement by the International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor was a symbolic blow that deepened Israel’s isolation over the war in Gaza.

The court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, accused Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders — Yehya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel .

Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders condemned the move as disgraceful and antisemitic. U.S. President Joe Biden also lambasted the prosecutor and supported Israel’s right to defend itself against Hamas.

AP AUDIO: War crimes prosecutor seeks arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Netanyahu

AP Washington correspondent Sagar Meghani reports the U.S. is blasting a move by the world’s top criminal court to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

A panel of three judges will decide whether to issue the arrest warrants and allow a case to proceed. The judges typically take two months to make such decisions.

Israel is not a member of the court, so even if the arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate risk of prosecution. But the threat of arrest could make it difficult for the Israeli leaders to travel abroad.

Netanyahu called the prosecutor’s accusations against him a “disgrace,” and an attack on the Israeli military and all of Israel. He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas.

Biden said the effort to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant over the war in Gaza was “outrageous,” adding “whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas.”

Hamas also denounced the ICC prosecutor’s actions, saying the request to arrest its leaders “equates the victim with the executioner.”

Netanyahu has come under heavy pressure at home to end the war. Thousands of Israelis have joined weekly demonstrations calling on the government to reach a deal to bring home Israeli hostages in Hamas captivity, fearing that time is running out.

In recent days, the two other members of his war Cabinet, Gallant and Benny Gantz, have threatened to resign if Netanyahu does not spell out a clear postwar vision for Gaza.

But on Monday, Netanyahu received wall-to-wall support as politicians across the spectrum condemned the ICC prosecutor’s move. They included Israel’s president, Isaac Herzog, and his two main political rivals, Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid.

It is unclear what effect Khan’s move will have on Netanyahu’s public standing. The possibility of an arrest warrant against Netanyahu could give him a boost as Israelis rally behind the flag. But his opponents could also blame him for bringing a diplomatic catastrophe on the country.

Yuval Shany, an expert on international law at Hebrew University and the Israel Democracy Institute, a Jerusalem think tank, said it was far more certain that Netanyahu’s already troubled international standing could be further weakened.

“This is going to make Netanyahu an outcast, and his ability to move around the world will be seriously compromised,” said Shany. Even if the ICC does not issue the arrest warrant, other countries may now be more reluctant to provide support and assistance, he said.

Hamas is already considered an international terrorist group by the West. Both Sinwar and Deif are believed to be hiding in Gaza. But Haniyeh, the supreme leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and frequently travels across the region. Qatar, like Israel, is not a member of the ICC.

The latest war between Israel and Hamas began on Oct. 7, when militants from Gaza crossed into Israel and killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage.

Since then, Israel has waged a brutal campaign to dismantle Hamas in Gaza. More than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed in the fighting, at least half of them women and children, according to the latest estimates by Gaza health officials.

The war has triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing roughly 80% of the population and leaving hundreds of thousands of people on the brink of starvation, according to U.N. officials.

Speaking of the Israeli actions, Khan said “the effects of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, together with other attacks and collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza are acute, visible and widely known.”

The United Nations and other aid agencies have repeatedly accused Israel of hindering aid deliveries throughout the war. Israel denies this, saying there are no restrictions on aid entering Gaza and accusing the U.N. of failing to distribute aid.

Of the Hamas actions on Oct. 7, Khan, who visited the region in December, said that he saw for himself “the devastating scenes of these attacks and the profound impact of the unconscionable crimes.”

In their rampage, Hamas militants gunned down scores of revelers at a dance party and killed entire families as they huddled in their homes. “These acts demand accountability,” Khan said.

International human rights lawyer Amal Clooney served on a five-member expert panel that advised Khan. She said the panel had agreed unanimously that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that both the Hamas and Israeli leaders had committed war crimes, according to a statement.

South Africa, which has been leading a genocide case against Israel at the U.N. world court, welcomed Khan’s announcement seeking the arrest of Israeli and Hamas leaders. “The law must be applied equally to all in order to uphold the international rule of law,” the office of President Cyril Ramaphosa said.

The ICC was established in 2002 as the permanent court of last resort to prosecute individuals responsible for the world’s most heinous atrocities — war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and the crime of aggression.

The U.N. General Assembly endorsed the ICC, but the court is independent.

Dozens of countries don’t accept the court’s jurisdiction over war crimes, genocide and other crimes. They include Israel, the United States, Russia and China.

The ICC accepted “The State of Palestine” as a member in 2015, a year after the Palestinians accepted the court’s jurisdiction.

In 2020, then U.S. President Donald Trump authorized economic and travel sanctions on the ICC prosecutor and another senior prosecutor. The ICC staff were looking into U.S. and allies’ troops for possible war crimes in Afghanistan. Biden lifted the sanctions in 2021.

Last year, the court issued a warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on charges of responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. Russia responded by issuing its own arrest warrants for Khan and ICC judges.

AP journalists Molly Quell in Delft, Netherlands, and Mike Corder in Ede, Netherlands, contributed to this report.

Follow AP’s war coverage at https://apnews.com/hub/israel-hamas-war

Biden at odds with allies as U.S. and Israel attack ICC over arrest warrants

The U.S. found itself at odds with some key allies Tuesday after President Joe Biden denounced the chief prosecutor of the world’s top war crimes court for seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders .

France and Belgium, breaking with Biden, were among a number of countries to defend the “independence” of the International Criminal Court after prosecutor Karim Khan accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar , as well as others, of war crimes.

Israel sought to contain the fallout from the news, which delivered a new reputational blow even though no arrests were imminent. It called on its allies to vow not to enforce any warrants and dispatched its top diplomat, Foreign Minister Israel Katz, to Paris, according to The Associated Press.

In an interview with MSNBC's Stephanie Ruhle on Tuesday, Netanyahu said Israel was getting a "bum rap in the international scene" as he branded Khan a "rogue prosecutor who's out to demonize the one and only Jewish state."

Echoing Biden's comments, Netanyahu said Khan's decision to seek arrest warrants for both Israel's and Hamas' leaders reflected a "false symmetry" that he said was comparable to the arrest warrants that were issued for both President George W. Bush and Osama Bin Laden following the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

He further accused Khan of stoking "antisemitic fires" that he said were already burning across campuses in the U.S. and Europe — an apparent reference to widespread protests led by university students around the world in opposition to Israel's offensive in Gaza.

But Israel did get public backing from its chief ally, the U.S., after months of mounting tensions between the two countries.

Some human rights advocates criticized Biden for his swift condemnation of the move to seek arrest warrants, which he described as "outrageous" and suggested implied a false "equivalence" between Israel and Hamas.

Speaking at a Rose Garden appearance celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month later in the day, he said that Israel "wants to do all it can to ensure civilian protection" and that "what's happening is not genocide."

The U.S. was not alone in rejecting the ICC's move, with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak saying it was "not helpful to reaching a pause in the fighting, getting hostages out or humanitarian aid in."

Germany said it had some concerns, particularly about the decision to issue a "simultaneous application" for arrest warrants for Israel and Hamas, which its foreign ministry said gave "the false impression of equivalence," the German newspaper Deutsche Welle reported . But ultimately, Germany said it respected the court's independence.

‘Cannot have it both ways’

Human rights advocates criticized Biden's suggestion that the ICC's announcement equated Israel with Hamas , while some also accused the U.S. of double standards, given Washington's emphatic support for the ICC's decision to issue an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin over alleged war crimes in the war in Ukraine.

"Biden's response was deeply disappointing," Kenneth Roth, the former executive director of Human Rights Watch, said in a phone interview Tuesday. "There was nothing 'outrageous,'" he said, about Khan's decision to apply for arrest warrants "at all."

Rejecting Biden's suggestion that Khan had implied "an equivalence between Israel and Hamas," Roth said Khan "did no such thing. He simply charged both sides for their separate crimes. And to use Biden's term, it would have been 'outrageous' had he ignored one side's crime."

"These charges are not about Israel's right to defend itself, which no one questions. They're about how Israel has chosen to defend itself, and no cause, no matter how just, can be used as an excuse to commit war crimes," Roth said.

Biden was not alone in accusing Khan of implying a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, with both Israeli officials and Hamas leaders also accusing him of suggesting their actions in the Israel-Hamas war could be compared.

“Placing the leaders of a country that went into battle to protect its citizens — in the same line with bloodthirsty terrorists — is moral blindness and a violation of its duty and ability to protect its citizens,” Israeli war Cabinet member Benny Gantz said in Hebrew in a post on X.

Hamas separately denounced “the attempts of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to equate the victim with the executioner.”

Neither the U.S. nor Israel recognize the ICC’s jurisdiction, but any arrest warrants the court issues could put Israeli officials at risk of arrest in other countries, including much of Europe.

The warrants would also put Netanyahu on similar footing as Putin on the global stage after the ICC issued an arrest warrant for him in March 2023.

At the time, Biden welcomed the ICC's decision, saying he felt it was "justified." He said the ICC was "not recognized internationally by us, either. But I think it makes a very strong point."

The apparent disparity in his response to Khan's bid to seek arrest warrants for Netanyahu and others sparked accusations of a double standard.

Roth said he believed the “different response speaks more to the lack of principle in the U.S. government’s purported respect for the rule of law.”

“It’s not the rule of law when it applies only to one’s adversaries and not to one’s friends,” he said in a nod to U.S. support for the ICC warrant against Putin.

Shibley Telhami, a Middle East scholar at the University of Maryland, said in a post on X that Biden's "defense of Israeli leaders" was "not surprising, given his posture on Israel and the Gaza war." But, he said, "his furious attack on ICC and disregard for other [international organizations] has been shocking, out of touch with his own core constituency, and undermines the global order."

The Kremlin also weighed in, with spokesman Dmitry Peskov telling reporters that America's “attitude and their readiness to use sanctions even against the ICC” was “more than curious.”

Chantal Da Silva reports on world news for NBC News Digital and is based in London.

World reacts to ICC prosecutor seeking Israel, Hamas arrest warrants

The global court’s chief prosecutor says he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for arrest warrants against top Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan said on Monday that his office had applied for arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders for alleged crimes committed during the Hamas-led October 7 attack on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza.

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‘no equivalence’: biden defends israel after icc requests arrest warrants, icc prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for israeli and hamas officials, us lawmakers slam icc prosecutor’s israel arrest warrant requests.

Khan announced his office had “reasonable grounds” to believe that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant bear “criminal responsibility” for “war crimes and crimes against humanity”.

Khan also applied for arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders – Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (also known as Deif) – for war crimes and crimes against humanity.

Here are some reactions to the announcement:

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu

Netanyahu said the ICC decision was a disgrace and an attack on Israel.

“I reject with disgust the comparison of the prosecutor in The Hague between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

“With what audacity do you compare Hamas that murdered, burned, butchered, decapitated, raped and kidnapped our brothers and sisters, and the [Israeli army] soldiers fighting a just war?”

Israeli President Isaac Herzog

Herzog said that “any attempt to draw parallels between these atrocious terrorists and a democratically elected government of Israel – working to fulfil its duty to defend and protect its citizens entirely in adherence to the principles of international law – is outrageous and cannot be accepted by anyone”.

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

Smotrich likened the announcement by the ICC prosecutor on seeking arrest warrants for top Israeli officials to Nazi propaganda.

“We haven’t seen such a show of hypocrisy and hatred of Jews like that of the Hague Tribunal since Nazi propaganda,” Smotrich said on X.

Hamas denounced the ICC prosecutor’s decision to seek arrest warrants against its leaders, accusing Karim Khan of trying to “equate the victim with the executioner”.

The group said it demanded the cancellation of the request, adding that Khan’s application for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant had come “seven months too late”.

Gaza Media Office

The Government Media Office in Gaza has welcomed the ICC’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli leaders, and also denounced the decision to apply for warrants for Hamas leaders.

“We appreciate the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for two Zionist war criminals,” a statement from the office begins.

“We see the issuance of these memorandums as a legal step in the right direction, despite the fact that they came late,” it continues.

The office also said it “deplores the fact that this step was accompanied by the issuance of similar decisions against some of the leaders of our people”, referring to requests for arrest warrants against several Hamas officials.

Wasel Abu Yousef, member of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) Executive Committee

Yousef said that the Palestinian people have the right to defend themselves.

“The ICC is required to issue arrest warrants against Israeli officials who are pursuing crimes of genocide in the Gaza Strip,” he said.

Mustafa Barghouti, secretary-general of the Palestinian National Initiative

Barghouti has said that the ICC’s step affirms “that no one is immune from international law”.

“We consider this to be the first step towards condemning the crimes of genocide committed by the rulers and army of Israel against the Palestinian people in Gaza and holding them accountable for committing these crimes according to international law and international humanitarian law,” Barghouti said in a statement.

US President Joe Biden

In a statement, Biden called the application for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant “outrageous”.

“Let me be clear: Whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence – none – between Israel and Hamas,” he said.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Blinken said in a statement that the United States rejects the ICC prosecutor’s application for arrest warrants for Israeli officials and Hamas.

He reiterated President Biden’s stance and said: “We reject the prosecutor’s equivalence of Israel with Hamas.”

France said it has long warned of the consequences of violating international humanitarian law, particularly in regards to the “unacceptable” number of civilians killed in Gaza, as well as “insufficient humanitarian access”.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs said it supported the ICC, “its independence, and the fight against impunity in all situations”.

But the statement fell short of explicitly saying that France supported Khan for seeking arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders.

The statement added that France supports a “lasting political solution in the region”, saying it is the only way that will “put an end to the suffering of Israelis and Palestinians alike”.

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak

The United Kingdom prime minister’s spokesperson said the ICC’s decision “is not helpful in relation to reaching a pause in the fighting, getting hostages out or getting humanitarian aid in”.

“The UK, as with other countries, does not yet recognise Palestine as a state and Israel is not a state party to the Rome Statute”, which outlines the ICC’s areas of jurisdiction, the spokesperson added.

UN special rapporteur on human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory

Francesca Albanese said she understands that for the people of war-torn Gaza, the ICC prosecutor’s move may appear too little, too late.

But “for me, it’s a historical, historical day,” Albanese told Al Jazeera.

“It’s not a small thing that the ICC prosecutor [is seeking] arrest warrants for two Israeli leaders and it’s not just for war crimes … it’s for crimes that have been committed intentionally and wilfully – the all-state policy that has animated this campaign against the population in Gaza is put into question,” she said.

“Without condoning or justifying the crimes that have been committed by Hamas, these crimes should have been investigated, and prosecuted. It shouldn’t have given leeway to Israel to start a war which has turned into a genocidal war against the entire Palestinian population.

“Palestine was a litmus test for the credibility of the court and this prosecutor in particular. And after October 7, after October 8, he was compelled to act,” she added.

Belgian Foreign Minister Hadja Lahbib

Lahbib said that any crimes committed in Gaza must be prosecuted at the highest level.

“The request submitted by the Court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, for arrest warrants against both Hamas and Israeli officials is an important step in the investigation of the situation in Palestine,” she wrote on X.

“Belgium will continue to support the essential work of international justice to ensure that those responsible for all crimes are held accountable,” the minister added.

Austrian Chancellor Karl Nehammer

Chancellor Nehammer said that Austria fully respects the independence of the ICC but said the move to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas officials at the same time was “non-comprehensible”.

“The fact however that the leader of the terrorist organisation Hamas whose declared goal is the extinction of the State of Israel is being mentioned at the same time as the democratically elected representatives of that very State is non-comprehensible,” he said.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Petr Fiala

“The ICC Chief Prosecutor’s proposal to issue an arrest warrant for the representatives of a democratically elected government together with the leaders of an Islamist terrorist organisation is appalling and completely unacceptable,” said Fiala.

“We must not forget that it was Hamas that attacked Israel in October and killed, injured and kidnapped thousands of innocent people. It was this completely unprovoked terrorist attack that led to the current war in Gaza and the suffering of civilians in Gaza, Israel and Lebanon.”

Palestinian rights groups

The rights organisations Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights said Khan’s decision was “a crucial step” towards ending impunity in Israel’s war on Gaza.

In a statement, the three groups said the ICC announcement follows “tireless efforts by Palestinian and international civil society organisations demanding the issuance of arrest warrants” for members of Israel’s war cabinet.

“While we welcome the issuing of charges for crimes against humanity, there is also a public catalogue of genocidal statements of intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza, including through the intentional denial of aid,” they said.

“For these reasons, genocide as an additional crime should be included in an amendment to the charges.”

Israeli rights group

B’Tselem, a leading Israeli human rights group, said: “The era of impunity for Israeli decision-makers is over.

“The international community is signalling to Israel that it can no longer maintain its policy of violence, killing and destruction without accountability. Likewise, the request for arrest warrants against Hamas leaders for the crimes of October 7 is important and draws a red line where harm to civilians is concerned,” it said in a statement.

“The ICC intervention and ICJ rulings are a chance for us, Israelis, to realise what we should have understood long ago: that upholding a regime of supremacy, violence and oppression necessarily involves crimes and severe violation of human rights.”

UN special rapporteur on the right to housing

Balakrishnan Rajagopal welcomed Khan’s arrest warrant requests and said he believed the charges against Israeli leaders were “likely to stick”.

“On the request by the ICC Prosecutor for warrants: against Hamas, the charges of hostage taking and killing likely to stand but not others,” Rajagopal posted on X.

“Against Israeli leaders, all charges likely to stick. And missing charges include attacks against various civilian objects including homes!”

Human Rights Watch (HRW)

The international rights organisation welcomed the ICC’s decision.

“Victims of serious abuses in Israel and Palestine have faced a wall of impunity for decades. This principled first step by the prosecutor opens the door to those responsible for the atrocities committed in recent months to answer for their actions at a fair trial,” HRW said.

“ICC member countries should stand ready to resolutely protect the ICC’s independence as hostile pressure is likely to increase while the ICC judges consider [Prosecutor Karim] Khan’s request.”