Over 120 countries that are part of the International Criminal Court are obliged to enforce the arrest warrants.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant are now fugitives after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants against them over ongoing war crimes in Gaza.
As at press time, we confirmed express readiness of countries ready to detain Netanyahu on sight. This includes Italy, the Netherlands, Canada, France, Ireland.
While Israel does not recognise the authority of the ICC and Netanyahu and Gallant will not turn themselves in, the pair’s world just got a lot smaller.
The Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, includes 124 state parties across six continents.
Under the statute, countries that are part of the ICC are legally bound to enforce its arrest warrants, according to international human rights lawyer Jonathan Kuttab.
“The law operates on the basis of a presumption that people will obey it. That’s how all laws are created,” Kuttab told Al Jazeera.
“You expect everybody to respect the law. Those who don’t respect the law are themselves violating the law.”
He added that there were early signs that countries would not ignore the court’s decision. Many of Israel’s allies — including the European Union — have committed to enforcing the arrest warrants, Kuttab pointed out
Here is the list of countries where Netanyahu and Gallant could be detained after the ICC’s decision:
Afghanistan
Albania
Andorra
Antigua and Barbuda
Argentina
Armenia
Australia
Austria
Bangladesh
Barbados
Belgium
Belize
Benin
Bolivia
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Botswana
Brazil
Bulgaria
Burkina Faso
Cabo Verde
Cambodia
Canada
Central African Republic
Chad
Chile
Colombia
Comoros
Congo
Cook Islands
Costa Rica
Cote d’Ivoire
Croatia
Cyprus
Czech Republic
Democratic Republic of the Congo
Denmark
Djibouti
Dominica
Dominican Republic
Ecuador
El Salvador
Estonia
Fiji
Finland
France
Gabon
Gambia
Georgia
Germany
Ghana
Greece
Grenada
Guatemala
Guinea
Guyana
Honduras
Hungary
Iceland
Ireland
Italy
Japan
Jordan
Kenya
Kiribati
Latvia
Lesotho
Liberia
Liechtenstein
Lithuania
Luxembourg
Madagascar
Malawi
Maldives
Mali
Malta
Marshall Islands
Mauritius
Mexico
Mongolia
Montenegro
Namibia
Nauru
Netherlands
New Zealand
Niger
Nigeria
North Macedonia
Norway
Palestine
Panama
Paraguay
Peru
Poland
Portugal
Republic of Korea
Republic of Moldova
Romania
Saint Kitts and Nevis
Saint Lucia
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
Samoa
San Marino
Senegal
Serbia
Seychelles
Sierra Leone
Slovakia
Slovenia
South Africa
Spain
Suriname
Sweden
Switzerland
Tajikistan
Timor-Leste
Trinidad and Tobago
Tunisia
Uganda
United Kingdom
United Republic of Tanzania
Uruguay
Vanuatu
Venezuela
Zambia
