The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) prosecutor, Karim Khan, has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The move comes after seven months of fighting in Gaza, which has killed over 35,000 Palestinians and displaced thousands more.
Khan stated that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the five men bear criminal responsibility for the alleged crimes. The ICC has collected evidence of Israel’s systematic deprivation of civilians’ basic needs, including food, water, medicine, and energy. The prosecutor also alleges that Hamas leaders are responsible for crimes such as extermination, murder, and torture.
- ICC prosecutor seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders
- Allegations include war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza conflict
- ICC has no means to enforce arrest warrants, but member states are obligated to arrest suspects
- Israel and Hamas leaders dismiss allegations, calling the move “politically motivated”
