Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly condemned on Friday an ICC's decision and to launch a probe into alleged Israeli war crimes against the Palestinians.
"Today, the court has proven once again that it's a political body and not a judicial institution," Netanyahu said in a statement. "The court is ignoring real war crimes and is persecuting the State of Israel instead, a country with a strong democratic regime, which sanctifies the rule of law, and is not a member of the court.
"With this decision, the court has violated the rights of democracies to defend themselves against terrorism, and played into the hands of those who undermine efforts to expand the circle of peace. We will continue to protect our citizens and soldiers in every way from legal persecution."
The premier instructed his Cabinet not to comment on the issue publicly.