The top prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and top Hamas leaders as the war in Gaza continues.
The requests, made by Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Karim Khan, must be approved by the ICC's judges. Still, the announcement is a blow to Israel's prestige in general and specifically to Netanyahu's government.
Observers have speculated that the ICC might charge the Israeli government with obstructing the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza and responding excessively to Hamas' terror attack on Oct. 7, 2023.
An Israeli official speaking to The New York Times admitted that if the ICC issues any warrants, it would be seen as a “humbling moral rebuke” by a significant part of the international community. The possibility of the ICC taking such action has likely influenced the recent decision-making of the Israeli authorities.
The New York Times continues:
In a statement, Mr. Khan said he was applying for arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, Muhammad Deif and Ismail Haniyeh of Hamas. He also said he was requesting warrants for Mr. Netanyahu and for Israel's defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
Mr. Khan's statement said that he had “reasonable grounds to believe” that Mr. Sinwar, Mr. Deif and Mr. Haniyeh were responsible for “war crimes and crimes against humanity” — including “the killing of hundreds of Israeli civilians in attacks perpetrated by Hamas.”
“It is the view of my Office that these individuals planned and instigated the commission of crimes on 7 October 2023, and have through their own actions, including personal visits to hostages shortly after their kidnapping, acknowledged their responsibility for those crimes,” the statement said.
With regard to Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant, the prosecutor said he believed the Israeli leaders bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including using starvation as a weapon of war and “intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population.”
Israel and Hamas have not responded to today's announcement. Israel does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction. However, if indictments are issued, those named could be arrested in any of the ICC's 124 member nations, which includes most of Europe but not the United States.
This is a breaking news story. Please check back for updates.
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