EDITORIAL — Urgent warrants to enforce

It would seem lately that the International Criminal Court has gone overtime issuing warrants.

Just a few days ago, the ICC issued an arrest warrant for Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant as well as Hamas' military chief Mohammed Deif, for crimes against humanity in the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

Now it has even issued an arrest warrant for Myanmar junta leader Min Aung Hlaing for his regime’s crimes against the Rohingyan minority in that country.

Earlier, the ICC had also issued a warrant of arrest for Russia President Vladimir Putin for his aggression against Ukraine.

There is nothing wrong with the ICC issuing warrants as that would at least be their way of showing to the rest of the world that they are still doing their job, and that they are still relevant somehow.

But are such warrants really enforceable? When many countries across the world support, whether silently or openly, Netanyahu’s actions in Gaza? Or when the people outside Hamas don’t really know whether or not Deif is still alive?

Or when Putin virtually rules Russia with an iron fist and nothing happens in Russia without his knowing or approval, and he only travels to places he knows he is safe? Or when Myanmar isn’t even a member-nation of the ICC in the first place?

We also understand that some warrants are more enforceable than others and, in some cases, are more symbolic than anything else.

But if some warrants can be served, they need to be served more quickly than others, in this case the warrants again Putin, Deif, and Netanyahu, if just to prevent the deaths of more innocent people.

Putin needs to answer for his war against Ukraine, Netanyahu for his excesses in Gaza, and Deif for being part of the group that started the war in Gaza in the first place.

The ICC has issued warrants of arrest that have actually been served and enforced before, meaning they can cause the arrest and detention of someone. Maybe it isn’t a pipe dream to see some people who deserve it brought to justice.