The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court on Monday requested arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) said in a statement on Monday that he was seeking arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Karim Khan said he believed Mr Netanyahu, his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders – Yahia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh – were responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.
The prosecutor must request the arrest warrants from a panel of three pretrial judges, who take an average of two months to review the evidence and determine whether the proceedings can move forward.
Israel is not a member of the tribunal and, even if the arrest warrants are issued, Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant are not at immediate risk of prosecution. But Mr. Khan’s announcement reinforces Israel’s isolation. And the threat of arrest could prevent Israeli leaders from traveling abroad.
Yahia Sinwar and Mohammed Deif are both believed to be hiding in Gaza as Israel attempts to hunt them down. But Haniyeh, the political leader of the Islamic militant group, is based in Qatar and travels frequently to the region.
Neither side had any immediate comment.
Seven months of war
Israel launched its war in response to an October 7 cross-border attack by Hamas, which killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took another 250 hostage. The Israeli offensive has killed more than 35,000 Palestinians, at least half of whom are women and children, according to the latest estimates from Gaza health authorities.
The Israeli offensive has also triggered a humanitarian crisis in Gaza, displacing around 80% of the population and leaving hundreds of thousands on the brink of starvation, according to UN officials.
Israel also faces a complaint from South Africa before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which accuses it of genocide. Israel denies these accusations.
