ICC Issue Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Al-Masri
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. The court's announcement was made on Thursday.
The warrant for Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, stems from allegations of mass killings, rape, and hostage-taking during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel, which sparked the ongoing Gaza conflict. The ICC has indicated that it will continue to investigate Al-Masri’s reported death, as Israel claims to have killed him in an airstrike, although Hamas has not confirmed or denied this.
Troy Moser
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had previously signaled on May 20 that he was pursuing arrest warrants for individuals linked to both the Hamas-led attacks on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza.
Israel has rejected the ICC’s jurisdiction and strongly denies any war crimes committed during its operations in Gaza. Netanyahu and Gallant have not yet publicly commented on the warrants. In response, former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett criticized the ICC's actions as a "mark of shame" for the court, while opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the move, calling it "a reward for terrorism."
The ICC's jurisdiction does not depend on Israel's consent, and the court relies on member states to enforce its warrants. ICC member states include European Union countries, the UK, Japan, Brazil, Canada, and Jordan, among others.
The ICC judges found sufficient grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant could be criminally responsible for crimes such as starvation in Gaza and the persecution of Palestinians. Both Israeli and Hamas leaders have consistently rejected accusations of war crimes.
POSTED ON 11/21/2024 - LAST UPDATED ON 11/21/2024
