TL;DR:
- ICC issues arrest warrants for Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes including using starvation as warfare and crimes against humanity in Gaza since October 2023.
- Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif also faces arrest warrant for murder, torture, rape, and hostage-taking during October 7 attack that killed 1,200 Israelis.
- Netanyahu condemns ICC decision as “antisemitic,” while Hamas welcomes warrants; enforcement depends on ICC’s 124 member states, excluding Israel and US.
- European nations like Italy and Netherlands pledge to arrest accused if they enter their territories, while US rejects court’s decision and considers sanctions against those who enforce warrants.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The pre-trial chamber rejected Israel’s jurisdictional challenges and found “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts against Palestinian civilians in Gaza since October 2023.
For Deif, who Israel claims was killed in a July airstrike, the court found grounds to believe he was responsible for crimes including murder, torture, rape, and taking hostages during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel that killed approximately 1,200 people and led to 251 hostages being taken to Gaza.
Netanyahu strongly condemned the ICC’s decision, calling it “a dark day in the history of humanity” and describing the court as “the enemy of humanity.” He stated, “It’s an antisemitic step that has one goal – to deter me, to deter us from having our natural right to defend ourselves against enemies who try to destroy us.”
The warrants’ enforcement depends on the ICC’s 124 member states, which exclude Israel and the United States. While some European nations like Italy and the Netherlands have pledged to arrest the accused if they enter their territories, the U.S. has rejected the court’s decision. EU foreign policy chief Josep Borrell confirmed the ruling is binding on all EU member states.
Hamas welcomed the warrants for the Israeli leaders but made no mention of Deif’s warrant. The Palestinian Authority called the decision a sign of “hope and confidence in international law.”
The ICC’s decision comes amid ongoing violence, with Israel’s military campaign in Gaza resulting in over 44,000 Palestinian deaths according to Hamas-run health authorities. Israel continues to deny allegations of genocide, which are being examined separately by the International Court of Justice.
The warrants could restrict Netanyahu and Gallant’s international travel, as ICC member states are obligated to arrest them if they enter their territories. However, they can still visit non-member countries, including the United States and several Middle Eastern nations.
Source: BBC
