United Nations could meet Israel PM Netanyahu despite ICC arrest warrant, UN says

The arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu over the war in Gaza does not bar United Nations officials from meeting him during their work, the UN said on Thursday.

UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres and Netanyahu have not spoken since the war started as a result of the Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023, although there have been contacts with the Israeli leader by UN officials in the region.

Guterres has been declared persona non grata by Israel, which accuses him of being biased in favour of the Palestinians. So talks between the UN chief and Netanyahu are very unlikely.

UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres at Cop29 in Baku, Azerbaijan on Thursday. Photo: Zuma Press Wire / dpa

After the warrants issued on Thursday by the International Criminal Court against Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas’ military chief Mohammed Deif, UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric said UN policy on contacts with people facing arrest warrants dates back to a document issued in 2013.

“The rule is that there should not be any contacts between UN officials and individuals subject to arrest warrants,” Dujarric said.

But limited contacts are allowed “to address fundamental issues, operational issues, and our ability to carry out our mandates”, he said.

The warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. The decision turns Netanyahu and the others into internationally wanted suspects, putting them at risk of arrest when they travel abroad and potentially further isolating them.

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