ICC issues arrest warrant against Netanyahu, Hamas official for war crimes

The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and a senior Hamas official over alleged war crimes committed during the conflict that followed the October 7 attacks on Israel last year, a statement by the ICC said.

IMAGE: Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks at the plenum, during a discussion on the subject of hostages kidnapped during the deadly October 7, 2023 attack, in Israel's parliament, the Knesset, in Jerusalem, November 18, 2024. . Photograph: Ronen Zvulun/Reuters

The court believed it had 'reasonable grounds' to believe that the Netanyahu, Gallant and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim AL-MASRI, more commonly known as DEIF (commander-in-chief of the military wing of Hamas, known as the Al-Qassam Brigades) committed war crimes and crimes against humanity, as per the statement.

The charges include -- starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, wilfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity, among other charges, as per the statement.

"The war crimes alleged in these applications were committed in the context of an international armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, and a non-international armed conflict between Israel and Hamas (together with other Palestinian Armed Groups) running in parallel. We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to State policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day," the court noted.

This will be the first time the ICC ever issued warrants against leaders of a democratic country, Times of Israel said, adding that Netanyahu and Gallant would be liable of arrest if they travel to any country that is party to the ICC.

Israel is not a party to the ICC.

Israel says Deif was killed by an IDF strike in Gaza in July, as per Times of Israel.

The Court charged Yahya Sinwar, head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in the Gaza Strip, DIEF, and Ismail Haniyeh for 'crimes against humanity', including rape and other acts of sexual violence, outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime, in the context of captivity, among other charges, as per the ICC.