Irish Prime Minister Simon Harris pointed out that the issuance of arrest warrants by the International Criminal Court in The Hague against Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of Hamas is an important and serious step.

“The decision … is an extremely important step,” Harris said in a statement. “These charges could not be more serious,” the Irish prime minister said.

“Ireland respects the role of the International Criminal Court. Anyone who is able to help her carry out her vital work must now do so as a matter of urgency,” he clarified.

Israeli President Benjamin Netanyahu’s office and members of the Israeli government strongly condemned the International Criminal Court in The Hague on Thursday, accusing it of “anti-Semitism” after its decision to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallad. .

The move comes after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan announced on May 20 that he is seeking arrest warrants for alleged crimes linked to Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza. The Hague also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al Masri (also known as Mohammed Deif).