Admin
The prime minister of Israel, the former defense minister, and the military leader of Hamas have all been the targets of arrest warrants issued by judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC).
According to a statement, a pre-trial chamber issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant and dismissed Israel’s claims to the court’s authority.
Mohammed Deif was also the subject of a warrant, notwithstanding the Israeli military’s claim that he was killed in a July airstrike in Gaza.
The judges ruled that the three individuals had “criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict between Israel and Hamas, citing “reasonable grounds.” Israel and Hamas have both denied the accusations.
The accusations have been denied by both Israel and Hamas.
The 124 member states of the ICC, excluding Israel and its ally, the United States, will now have the last say on whether or not to enforce the warrants.
Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor, requested warrants in May for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif, and two other since-deceased Hamas leaders, Yahya Sinwar and Ismail Haniyeh.
Despite Israel’s belief that Deif is dead, the chamber stated that the ICC prosecution had informed it that it was unable to ascertain whether he was killed or still alive.
The events of October 7, 2023, when Hamas fighters assaulted southern Israel, murdering over 1,200 people, are the basis for the prosecutor’s case against them.
The ICC claims that it “found reasonable grounds to believe” that Deif was “responsible for the war crimes of murder, cruel treatment, torture, taking hostages, outrages upon personal dignity, and rape and other form of sexual violence; as well as the crimes against humanity of murder, extermination, torture, and rape and other form of sexual violence.”
Additionally, it stated that there were good reasons to think that the crimes against humanity were “part of a widespread and systematic attack directed by Hamas and other armed groups against the civilian population of Israel.”
The tribunal “found substantial reasons to assume” that Netanyahu and Gallant, who was fired as defense minister earlier this month, “both bear criminal responsibility for the following offenses as co-perpetrators for perpetrating
“Each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population,” it further said, using plausible reasoning.
Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
“The ridiculous ICC ruling, taken in bad faith, has made universal justice a universal laughing stock,” stated Israeli President Isaac Herzog.
He continued, “The decision has turned the very system of justice into a human shield for Hamas’ crimes against humanity, and it has chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom.”
The warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were welcomed by veteran Palestinian politician Mustafa Barghouti, who is based in the occupied West Bank.
In reference to a different case that is presently being heard by the UN’s highest court, he continued, “We also call on the International Court of Justice to expedite its ruling on Israel committing the crime of genocide.”
Arop
