On Thursday, ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes in Gaza.

These include starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, murder, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, and extermination.

"The announcement is still fresh. We take note of the arrest warrants, we will look at them and consult with our closest partners in the European Union and states parties to the ICC," Tsahkna said in a comment on Thursday evening.

"The ICC is an independent court. Estonia is a state party to the ICC, and upholding the international order based on international law and rules is important to us. At the same time, we are skeptical about these arrest warrants contributing to a lasting peace in the Middle East."

#Estonia takes note of the arrest warrants of the @IntlCrimCourt which is a state party to.
Upholding the international order based on international law and rules is important to us.
At the same time, we are sceptical they'll contribute to a lasting peace in the Middle East.

— Margus Tsahkna (@Tsahkna) November 21, 2024

The ICC's case is connected to October 7, 2023, when Hamas gunmen killed approximately 1,200 people after attacking a music festival in southern Israel. Over 200 people were taken hostage.

Israel responded by launching a military campaign to eliminate Hamas in Gaza. The territory's Hamas-run health ministry says at least 44,000 people have been killed.

The ICC said there are reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant, who was replaced as defense minister earlier this month, both bear criminal responsibility, the BBC reported.

Despite the warrants, Netanyahu and Gallant do not face any immediate threat of prosecution.

It could make it difficult for them to travel abroad because if either of them set foot in any ICC member state they should be arrested and handed over to the court. However, ICC members do not always choose to enforce warrants. 

The ICC is a court of last resort and is only supposed to act when domestic courts cannot, or will not, genuinely investigate or prosecute serious international crimes, the BBC wrote.

Arrest warrants have also been issued for members of Hamas.

Estonia's view on the conflict is that Israel has the right to defend itself under international law and Hamas and Hezbollah are terrorist organizations.

At the same time, last month it voted in favor of a United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) resolution condemning Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

Officials at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs denied a U-turn in Middle East policy.

Estonian and Israeli presidents discuss security

President Alar Karis spoke to Israel's President Isaac Herzog on Thursday.

In a social media post, he said the pair discussed the security situation in Europe, Russia's aggression in Ukraine, and finding a solution to the conflict in the Middle East.

"Agreement for immediate release of hostages in Hamas's captivity & how to ensure unrestricted access of humanitarian aid for those in need in Gaza were also the topics of discussion," the post says.

The president said the World Food Program and UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) are "vital" for aid and ensuring access to education. 

Karis did not mention the ICC warrents in his post.

Exchanged views on security situation in #Europe, #Russia's aggression in #Ukraine and finding solution to the conflict in the Middle East during a phone call with President of #Israel @Isaac_Herzog. pic.twitter.com/ZhCPwGIy7w

— Alar Karis (@AlarKaris) November 21, 2024

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