France says it backs ICC and 'fight against impunity'

France said it supports the International Criminal Court’s “independence” but stopped short of outright backing the ICC prosecutor's decision to call for warrants of arrest against Israeli and Hamas leaders.

“France has been warning for many months about the imperative of strict compliance with international humanitarian law and in particular about the unacceptable nature of civilian losses in the Gaza Strip and insufficient humanitarian access,” France’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Monday. 

France said it supported the court and "the fight against impunity in all situations,” adding that it was committed to a political solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict.