The International Criminal Court of Justice is supposed to be a court of last resort to bring to justice under international law the perpetrators of the most serious cases of human rights abuses when national legal jurisdictions are unwilling or unable to do so.

Last week’s decision by the ICC’s chief prosecutor in the Hague to seek arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity muddies that mission by politicising the institution. Israel’s conduct of its legitimate war of self-defence to eliminate Hamas’ control of Gaza should be subject to international scrutiny and pressure to minimise the death and suffering of ordinary Palestinians.