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Why does South Africa want Hamas and Israeli leaders arrested?

Several countries around the world including the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, Belgium, France, Italy and Canada have expressed their support for the ICC

鈥淭he warrant signals to Israel, it signals to the supporters of Netanyahu [that] you have moved out of the realm of approval of a very great number of nations鈥 鈥 Professor Emeritus Andr茅 Thomashausen, University of South Africa

On the 21st of November, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

Mohammed Deif, a military commander of the Islamist group, Hamas, has also been added to the ICC鈥檚 list, even though Israel previously said he was killed in an airstrike in July.

ICC judges say there are 鈥渞easonable grounds鈥 that the three men bear "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

These relate to the on-going conflict in the Gaza Strip, in the Middle East.

But Mr. Netanyahu has rejected the warrants, describing them as 鈥渁nti-Semitic鈥.

In a statement, the ICC says the office of its prosecutor received a referral of the situation in the State of Palestine.

It came from South Africa, Comoros, Djibouti and several other nations worldwide.

So, today Alan Kasujja wants to know why South Africa, a country which has long been campaigning to end the war in Gaza, wants senior Hamas and Israeli leaders arrested.

Guests: Zane Dangor, Director General of South Africa's Department of International Relations and Professor Emeritus Andr茅 Thomashausen of the University of South Africa

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