Human rights organizations and social movements worldwide urgently call on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants to prevent the continuing commission by Israeli officials of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes against Palestinians. The organizations urge Prosecutor Khan to swiftly seek arrest warrants for President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The urgent call follows a legal filing submitted by Al-Haq, Al Mezan Center for Human Rights, and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights on November 8. The filing underscores ongoing atrocities against the Palestinian population, including Israeli airstrikes, the suffocating siege on Gaza, forced displacement, the use of toxic gas, and the denial of basic necessities. The legal filing meticulously details the ongoing commission of these crimes, providing a case for arrest warrants under Article 58(1)(b)(3) of the Rome Statute.

The call has been coordinated by ESCR-Net. As a global network committed to advancing economic, social, cultural, and environmental rights, the Network has condemned the genocide unfolding in the Gaza Strip. According to the Gaza Health Ministry figures(link is external), since October 7, 19,667 Palestinians have been killed, with 70 percent being women and children.

S'bu Zikode, president of Abahlali baseMjondolo, a South African shack dwellers' movement, and ESCR-Net board member, stated, “What will end this horrific killing of innocent people, particularly women and children, is the need for justice.” These remarks were delivered during a global event pressuring U.S. Embassies worldwide to demand U.S. President Biden take every possible action to stop the unfolding genocide in Gaza perpetrated by Israel.

The ICC arrest warrants could play a vital role in deterring ongoing violations and crimes by Israeli officials. “The failure to issue warrants for identified cases exacerbates impunity, fueling Israeli occupation with open disregard for the rule of law,” the signatories state. 

>> Download the letter 

List of Signatories:

Organizations

1.  A 11 - Initiative for Economic and Social Rights - Serbia
2. Abahlali baseMjondolo Movement SA - South Africa
3. Adaleh Center for Human Rights - Jordan 
4. Afterwatch - DRC
5. Agrimovement in Lebanon - Lebanon
6. ALTSEAN-Burma - Burma
7. Ambiente, Desarrollo y Capacitación - Honduras
8. Anti-Jindal & Anti-POSCO Movement (JPPSS) - India
9. Asian Forum for Human Rights and Development (FORUM-ASIA) - Thailand
10. Bread and Freedom Party (under establishment) - Egypt
11. Center for Defending Freedom of Journalists (CDFJ) - Jordan
12. Centre de Recherche sur l’Environnement, la Démocratie et les Droits de l’Homme (CREDDHO) - RD Congo
13.  Comité Ambiental en Defensa de la Vida - Colombia
14. Community Empowerment and Social Justice Network (CEMSOJ) - Nepal
15. Consejo Cívico de Organizaciones Populares e Indígenas de Honduras (COPINH) - Honduras
16. Consejo de Pueblos Wuxhtaj - Guatemala
17. Consejo del Pueblo Maya - Guatemala
18. Corporación SOS Ambiental - Colombia
19. Dibeen for Environmental Development - Jordan
20. Economic and Social Rights Centre - Hakijamii - Kenya
21. Egyptian Center for Economic and Social Rights - Egypt
22. Egyptian Initiative for Personal Rights (EIPR) - Eygpt
23. ElSeidi Law Firm - Egypt
24. Emergent Evaluation Consulting - USA
25. EMPIRE WOMEN DEVELOPMENT INITIATIVE - Nigeria
26. FIAN International - International
27. Fundación para el Desarrollo de Políticas Sustentables (Fundeps) - Argentina
28. Independent Chambers - International
29. International Accountability Project (IAP)
30. International Women's Rights Action Watch Asia Pacific (IWRAW AP) - Malaysia
31. Justiça Ambiental JA! - Mozambique 
32. Kairos Center for Religions, Rights, and Social Justice - USA
33. Karapatan - Philippines
34. Kisumu Social Rights Association (KISORA) - Kenya
35. Legal Resources Centre - South Africa
36. Ligue Algérienne pour la Défense des Droits de l’Homme (LADDH) - Algeria
37. Maldivian Democracy Network (MDN) - Maldives
38. Manushya Foundation - Thailand
39. Movimento dos Atingidos por Barragens - Brazil
40. MUFRAS-32 (Movimiento Unificado Francisco Sánchez 1932) - El Salvador
41. Muungano wa wanavijiji federation Kenya
42. Nairobi Peoples Settlement Network - Kenya
43. National Fisheries Solidarity Movement - Sri Lanka
44. NATIONAL UNION OF DOMESTIC EMPLOYEES - Trinidad and Tobago
45. Natural Resource Women Platform - Liberia
46. Noura Organization for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, Sudan
47. Observatori DESCA - Spain
48. Organización Fraternal Negra Hondureña (OFRANEH) - Honduras
49. Otros Mundos AC 50.   PAH (Plataforma de Afectados por la Hipoteca) - Mexico  
50. Pakistan Fisherfolk Forum - Pakistan
51. Peace Movement Aotearoa - New Zealand 
52. Peace Track Initiative  - Yemen   
53. Phoenix  Center - Jordan
54. Project on Organizing, Development, Education, and Research (PODER) - Mexico
55. Red Acoge - Spain
56. Red Chimpu Warmi - Bolivia
57. Seed In A Box - Lebanon
58. Socio-Economic Rights Institute of South Africa - South Africa
59. Tamkeen for Legal Aid and Human Rights - Jordan
60. The Democracy and Workers' Rights Center in Palestine (DWRC) - Palestine
61. The El Molo Forum - Kenya
62. The Jus Semper Global Alliance - USA.  
63. The Shift - International
64. Tunisian Forum for Economic and Social Rights - Tunisia   
65. Union of Palestinian Workers Struggle (UPWS) - Palestine
66. World Forum of Fisher Peoples - International
67. Zimbabwe People’s Land Rights Movement - Zimbabwe

Individuals

1. Kranti LC
2. Claudia Lazzaro
3. Faleh Hammoudi
4. Rasha Jarhum
5. Miriam Miranda
6. Ahmed ElSeidi 
7. Ahmed Awad
8. Mounir Hassine
9. Murielle Mignot
10. Nidal Mansour
11. Marie Joyce Godio
12. Shanti Uprety
13. Pavind Permnath
14. Tahani Abbas
15. Erickson Sunday Aboka
16. Hala Murad
17. Constanza Pauchulo
18. Irene Escorihuela
19. Natalia Slepoy Benites
20. Linda Alkalash
21. Danilo Curcic
22. Liz Theoharis
23. Arturo Ignacio Castillo torres
24. Zacharia Barghouti
25. María Benilde Carreño Gaitan
26. Roqayah Tbeileh
27. Camilo Bermúdez
28. Shatha Abdulsamad
29. Leilani Farha
30. Judy Kodaimati
31. Martha Devia Grisales
32. Urieb Abdalsamad
33. Giorga Gusciglio
34. Sally Abu Sakha
35. Ruben Caballero
36. Buthaina El Haggar
37. Daniya Rahman
38. Nor Warczinski
39. Mahar Musleh
40. Enriqueta Mercader Camps
41. Susan Mbori
42. Kaat Schlitz
43. Deborah Lawson
44. Namratha Kolla
45. Maria Laura Fons Camarena
46. Shaimaa Mubarak
47. Mira Samara
48. Sarah Kodaimati
49. Frederico Casiraghi
50. Prabinda shakya
51. Marie Pompei
52. Álvaro de Regil Castilla 
53. Gustavo Castro
54. Erika Mendes
55. Jen Nessel
56. Michele Dano 
57. Alison Feuerwerker
58. Klea Markollari
59. Ibrahim Ismail
60. Giulia Sorcini
61. Ryan Schlief 
62. Andrea Laforest
63. Paula Isabel Macias Flores
64. Eduardo Aguilar
65. Claudia Diaz
66. Jorge Varelo
67. Emlyn Medalla 
68. Luzia Guillerin
69. Aye Aye Win Lemmers
70. Rajaa Kassab
71. Luz Torres
72. Mohamed Aloush
73. Ludzia Guillerin
74. Sadiq Aziz
75. Amna Shawkat
76. Doris Loy
77. Iman Soliman
78. Nassim POURGHAZIAN
79. Melissa Levaillant
80. Muziwakhe Mdlalose
81. Isabelle Müller
82. Alaa Talbi
83. Héctor Garcia
84. Julia Roknifard
85. Prasant Paikray
86. Debbie Stothard
87. S’bu Zikode
88. Christiana Louwa
89. Eman Shahoud