Arrest warrant sought for Netanyahu, Hamas leaders: ‘Responsible for war crimes’

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced on Monday that he is seeking arrest warrants for both Israeli

And Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, due to their actions during the seven-month conflict between Israel and Hamas, news agency Associated Press reported.

Karim Khan stated that he holds Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders — Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh — accountable for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

“The effects of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, together with other attacks and collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza are acute, visible and widely known,” Associated Press quoted Khan as saying in an official statement.

“They include malnutrition, dehydration, profound suffering and an increasing number of deaths among the Palestinian population, including babies, other children, and women,” the chief prosecutor added.

In order to prosecute Israeli and Hamas leaders, the chief prosecutor must request warrants from a pre-trial panel of three judges of the International Criminal Court, who typically take about two months to consider the evidence and determine if the proceedings can move forward.

Notably, Israel is not a member of the court, and even if the arrest warrants are issued, both the Israeli leaders do not face any immediate risk of prosecution.

Nonetheless, Khan’s announcement intensifies Israel’s isolation as it continues its military operations, and the threat of arrest could complicate international travel for Israeli leaders.

Khan, who visited the region in December, reflected on the Hamas actions on October 7, stating that he saw for himself “the devastating scenes of these attacks and the profound impact of the unconscionable crimes charged in the applications filed today. Speaking with survivors, I heard how the love within a family, the deepest bonds between a parent and a child, were contorted to inflict unfathomable pain through calculated cruelty and extreme callousness. These acts demand accountability”.

Israel launched its war in response to an October 7, 2023 cross-border attack by Hamas that killed some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 250 others hostage. As per Gaza health officials, the ongoing Israeli offensive has since killed over 35,000 Palestinians, at least half of them women and children.