The Hague – The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor announced on Monday that he has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders, citing alleged war crimes.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan stated that after over seven months of conflict in Gaza, there are reasonable grounds to believe that these five individuals bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The requested warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant relate to their roles in Israel’s offensive against Hamas following the militant group’s deadly October 7 raid on Israel.
Khan has also sought warrants for Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Al-Masri (also known as Deif), and Ismail Haniyeh. These individuals are accused of crimes including extermination, murder, hostage-taking, torture, rape, and other acts of sexual violence.
A panel of pre-trial judges will review the evidence to determine whether to issue the warrants. However, the ICC lacks the enforcement power to carry out arrests, and its investigation into the Gaza conflict faces opposition from the United States and Israel.
Israeli and Palestinian leaders have rejected the war crimes allegations. Netanyahu condemned the prosecutor’s decision as a “complete distortion of reality,” while U.S. President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken criticized the move, expressing concerns about its potential impact on hostage negotiations and ceasefire efforts. Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri also denounced the warrants, claiming they unfairly equate victims with perpetrators.
This unprecedented step marks the first time ICC prosecutor Khan has intervened in the Middle Eastern conflict. He emphasized that while states have the right to self-defense, they must comply with international humanitarian law. Khan accused Israel of systematic deprivation of essential resources to civilians and held Netanyahu and Gallant responsible for these actions and war crimes.
The Hamas leaders are similarly held accountable for the militant group’s alleged crimes, which include severe acts of violence and abuse against civilians.
The ICC, established as the world’s first permanent international war crimes court, has 124 member states obligated to arrest indicted individuals if they enter their territories. Past instances, such as the failure to detain Sudanese former President Omar Bashir, illustrate the challenges the ICC faces in enforcing its warrants.
This development represents a significant moment in international justice, as no Western officials have been indicted by the ICC in its 21-year history. The potential issuance of warrants against Israeli leaders could place many European Union countries in a diplomatically challenging position.
The ongoing Gaza conflict has resulted in at least 35,000 Palestinian deaths and widespread humanitarian crises, according to Gaza’s health ministry. The Hamas-led attack on October 7 resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 250 hostages, highlighting the severe human toll of the conflict
