International

ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Netanyahu, Hamas Commander, Gallant Over War Crimes

Published

10 hours ago

Nov 21, 2024.

Dennis

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif.

In a statement, the pre-trial chamber rejected Israel’s objections to the court’s jurisdiction and cited “reasonable grounds” to believe the three men bear “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed during the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas.

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Both Israel and Hamas have denied the accusations.

The warrant for Deif was issued despite claims by the Israeli military that he was killed in a July airstrike in Gaza. The chamber, however, stated it could not confirm his death.

The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, originally sought warrants in May for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif, and two other Hamas leaders—Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar—both of whom were reported killed in subsequent strikes.

The allegations against Hamas leaders include crimes such as extermination, murder, taking hostages, rape, and torture, while those against the Israeli leaders involve deliberate attacks on civilians, use of starvation as a weapon, and other war crimes.

These charges stem from the events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas launched a deadly assault on southern Israel, killing approximately 1,200 people and taking 251 hostages.