On Thursday, the worst fears of potential over-reach by the International Criminal Court (ICC) came to fruition, when a three-judge pre-trial panel voted to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant over alleged crimes in their prosecution of Israel’s defensive war against Hamas.

Despite the country’s hyper-partisan political environment, the decision was roundly condemned by Israeli politicians on both sides of the aisle. Opposition Leader Yair Lapid said the warrants amounted to a “reward for terrorism,” while National Unity Leader Benny Gantz called it a “shameful stain of historic proportion that will never be forgotten.”