Italy is advocating for the suspension of the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, as reported by Italian media outlets.

As a signatory to the Rome Statute, Italy is obligated to comply with ICC rulings.

Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani is said to have proposed this initiative during a G7 Foreign Ministers’ meeting held in Italy, which commenced on Monday. He urged the G7 nations to reach a consensus, suggesting that the criminal proceedings could be paused until the resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, according to the newspaper Il Messaggero.

The ICC, based in The Hague, announced on Thursday that it had issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict. The court holds jurisdiction over the West Bank and Gaza, recognized as occupied Palestinian territories under international law.

If they travel to any of the 124 countries that are signatories to the ICC’s Rome Statute, including Italy, both Israeli officials could face arrest.

However, Tajani emphasized that while the ICC makes “legal decisions,” it is up to Western governments to make “political choices.”

“We need to be united on this,” Tajani reportedly stated during the G7 discussions.

As reported by the news website Euractiv, Tajani reiterated Italy’s commitment to the ICC. Nevertheless, when questioned about the possibility of Netanyahu’s arrest should he visit Italy, he pointed out that high-ranking state officials enjoy a certain level of immunity.

Countries such as Italy, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Ireland, Sweden, Belgium, the UK, and Norway have indicated their intention to comply with the ICC warrant, while the US and Israel have denounced the decision.