President Lee Jae Myung of South Korea and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of Israel. (pool photo, Reuters/Yonhap)
South Korean President Lee Jae Myung shared a message Wednesday calling for a decision on measures in response to Israel’s interception of international aid ships, including the possible execution of an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.During a Cabinet meeting that day, Lee said that he had “read articles about Israel seizing or sinking vessels carrying South Korean nationals who wished to volunteer in the Gaza region.”“What is the legal basis for this? Are these Israel’s territorial waters?” he asked.Wi Sung-lac, the Blue House director of national security, explained that while they are not Israel’s waters, Israel does control the entire Gaza Strip.“Does that make it Israel’s land? Are belligerents allowed to seize other countries’ ships during hostilities?” the president responded. “It’s out of line and inhumane to detain Korean citizens for reasons that are unjustifiable under international law.”Lee then drew a connection to Israel’s leader. “The International Criminal Court has issued an arrest warrant against Netanyahu, right? After that warrant was issued, some European countries vowed to arrest Netanyahu if he entered their borders. We should also make a decision on that,” he said. The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Netanyahu in November 2024, accusing him of being responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated during Israel’s war in Gaza. In response, Spain and several other countries pledged to execute the ICC’s warrant if Netanyahu entered their territory.
