The International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, has issued a call for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar. The prosecutor believes there are “reasonable grounds to believe” that these men bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity. He is also targeting other leaders involved in the conflict, including Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed al-Masri, and Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The alleged crimes committed by the Hamas leaders began from at least October 7th, 2023 while for the Israeli leaders it started from October 8th, 2023. Israel’s Foreign Minister has labeled Khan’s decision as a “historical disgrace,” while a senior Hamas official criticized the move stating that it equates the victim with the executioner. US President Joe Biden described the ICC’s decision as “outrageous,” with Secretary of State Antony Blinken stating that Washington fundamentally rejects the move.
Now a panel of pre-trial judges will be assessing the evidence to determine whether arrest warrants should be issued for these leaders. The situation remains tense as the ICC seeks to hold individuals accountable for their actions during the conflict.
