An International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and other top officials on both sides over charges including "war crimes" and "crimes against humanity".

Karim Khan said the ICC would also seeking warrants for Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside two more Hamas leaders: Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades - better known as Mohammed Deif - and Ismail Haniyeh, the group's political leader.

Speaking to CNN, Khan said the charges against the Hamas figures include "extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape and sexual assault in detention."

The prosecutor continued: "The world was shocked on October 7 when people were ripped from their bedrooms, from their homes, from the different kibbutzim in Israel," adding that "people have suffered enormously".

While the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include "causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies [and] deliberately targeting civilians in conflict," Khan said.