The International Criminal Court (ICC) decision Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister "ignores" the country's right to defend itself, Argentina's leader said.
Argentina "declares its deep disagreement" with the decision, which "ignores Israel's legitimate right to self-defense against the constant attacks by terrorist organizations like Hamas and Hezbollah," President Javier Milei said in a statement on the X social media network.
The ICC issued warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, as well as Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif "for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024."
Hamas militants conducted a stunning cross-border raid on Israel on October 7 last year that resulted in the deaths of 1,206 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.
Israel has since then been fighting a war in Gaza, which the militant group rules.
The Hamas government's health ministry in the Gaza Strip said Thursday at least 44,056 people had been killed in more than 13 months of war.
The United Nations considers the figures reliable.
"Israel faces brutal aggression, inhumane hostage-taking and indiscriminate attacks on its population," Milei said in his reaction to the ICC warrants.
"Criminalizing the legitimate defense of a nation while ignoring these atrocities is an act that distorts the spirit of international justice," he added.
Later Thursday, Milei said his government is working to boost ties with Israel.
"We are moving forward on a historic memorandum with the Israeli government, a bilateral alliance between two sister nations, a memorandum in defense of freedom and democracy, in the fight against terrorism and dictatorships," Milei said at a meeting with business leaders, without giving further details.
Milei has presented himself as a close ally of Israel, visiting the country in February and making waves by likening Hamas's attack to the Holocaust and announcing plans to move the Argentinian embassy to Jerusalem.
The president grew up Catholic but has displayed an enthusiasm for orthodox Jewish thought, regularly consulting with a rabbi and describing himself last year as a "Torah scholar."
Argentina has the largest Jewish community in Latin America.
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