The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant and a high-ranking Hamas official, accusing the three leaders of war crimes during Israel’s war with the militant group.
The Hague-based court said it found “reasonable grounds” to accuse the Israeli prime minister of war ... [+]
The ICC announced it found “reasonable grounds” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for using starvation as a method of warfare in Israel’s war with Hamas, alleging the leaders “created conditions of life” intended to “bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza.”
The court accused Hamas leader Mohammed Deif—who Israel said was killed in an airstrike in September—of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, rape and hostage-taking related to the group’s attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
Israel’s foreign ministry challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction in September, arguing the Hague-based court didn’t provide Israel adequate time to investigate the court’s allegations before arrest warrants were issued, though the ICC rejected Israel’s challenge.
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Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar condemned the ICC for the arrest warrants, saying the court had “lost all legitimacy for its existence and actions” and acted as a “political tool serving the most extreme elements working to undermine peace, security and stability in the Middle East.” Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister, called the arrest warrants an “unparalleled disgrace, though not surprising at all.”
The ICC, which works in cooperation with the United Nations, relies on other countries that recognize its jurisdiction to carry out its arrest warrants. Several countries, including the U.S. and China, do not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and would not be asked to arrest Netanyahu, who spoke to Congress in July. Even if a country does recognize its jurisdiction, it doesn’t indicate the arrest warrants will be carried out: Mongolia did not arrest Russian President Vladimir Putin—who was accused of war crimes in Russia’s war with Ukraine—when he visited the country in September.
This is a developing story.