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ICC ruling proves Israel is 'not untouchable' — Turkish parliament speaker

"Just as apartheid-era South Africa faced suspension from the United Nations, Israel's membership of the UN should also be suspended," says Numan Kurtulmus.

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Türkiye's parliament speaker expressed support for countries committed to enforcing the ICC's decision. / Photo: AA

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant represent another major step showing Israel is "touchable," the speaker of Türkiye's parliament has said.

As Israel has continued to wage its devastating offensive on Gaza for over a year, the genocide case filed against it by South Africa at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) marked the beginning of a new era for Tel Aviv, Numan Kurtulmus said, speaking at the presentation of a report on human rights violations in Palestine and the genocide in Gaza, at parliament on Tuesday.

"This is the main reason why Israel has become so aggressive, violating the last remnants of international law," he noted at the presentation of the report by the Human Rights and Equality Institution of Türkiye, an affiliate of the country's justice ministry.

With the decisions from the two international courts, he said: "Israel sees that its end is near."

Kurtulmus also called for a third step: "Just as apartheid-era South Africa faced suspension from the United Nations, Israel's membership of the UN should also be suspended."

He praised the ICC’s "courage" despite the pressure it has been under, adding that its decision reflects the efforts of countless advocates for Palestinian rights.

"For the judges of both the ICJ and the ICC, it was an honor to deliver such a major judgment," he said. Kurtulmus added these decisions "also saved the reputation" of these courts.

Who are the three ICC judges who issued landmark Netanyahu arrest warrant?

The parliament speaker expressed support for countries committed to enforcing the ICC's decision.

The ICC last week announced the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024" in Gaza .

Israel has launched a genocidal war on Gaza following the Palestinian resistance group Hamas attack last year, killing over 44,250 people, most of them women and children, and injuring over 104,700.

The onslaught has displaced almost the entire population of the enclave, and a deliberate blockade has led to severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine, pushing the population to the brink of starvation.