Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has indicated that he is prepared to arrest Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu if he travels to Canada, following the decision of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue warrants.
In an interview with American channel Bloomberg L.P., Carney stated that under his leadership, Canada will comply with the ICC’s decision. He added that if Netanyahu were to visit Canada, authorities there would be ready to detain him.
Meanwhile, a spokesperson for the Israeli government has demanded that Prime Minister Carney retract his remarks regarding Netanyahu’s potential arrest.
Carney made it clear that, should Netanyahu come to Canada, he could indeed be arrested. According to foreign media reporting on the Bloomberg interview, Carney said that taking the ICC’s warrant into account, if Netanyahu visited Canada, he would be apprehended. He also stated that recognizing a Palestinian state has been a priority of his policies, and that a two-state solution is essential.
On the other hand, former Pakistani permanent representative to the United Nations Munir Akram expressed concern that Netanyahu will find some excuse to resume war. In an interview, Akram said that the statement by Iran’s supreme leader was absolutely correct no country should interfere in another country’s affairs. He noted that Iran had entered into a nuclear agreement with the United States and other powers, but when the U.S. later withdrew, Israel staged a drama and heightened tensions in the region.
Akram said that Israel violated international law by bombing six different countries, and is still targeting others under some pretext. He claimed that Netanyahu accepted ceasefire under pressure from Donald Trump, but in reality he wishes to keep the war going to maintain his government.
“Hamas must return the bodies of the hostages at any cost, Netanyahu,” Akram declared. He warned that while the cease-fire agreement in Gaza is a positive step, its real test will be in its continued implementation. He fears that sooner or later Netanyahu will fabricate another excuse and restart the war.
