ICC seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas leaders
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The news: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has announced its application for arrest warrants in relation to charges of war crimes by Israeli and Hamas leaders.
The context: The application reads that the ICC chief Prosecutor Karim Khan has reasonable grounds to believe Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israel’s Minister of Defence bear criminal responsibility for a number of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza since October last year.
The application also calls out the head of Hamas, Yahya Sinwar, Hamas’ commander in chief, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri (DEIF), and head of the Hamas political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh, for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and Gaza during the same period.
Khan announced the plans in a statement on Monday, citing the attack on Israel by Hamas forces and Israel’s military response in Gaza.
A panel of ICC judges will determine whether or not Khan’s application will be accepted.
What they said: The White House has said that it does not support the ICC’s investigation into Israel, arguing that the court does not have the jurisdiction for the action. In late April, the US warned the ICC that arrest warrants such as those sought today could see Israel back out of a ceasefire agreement.
Israeli President Isaac Herzog criticised Khan’s decision to seek arrest warrants against the country’s prime minister and defence minister, labelling the move as “beyond outrageous” and a sign that the “international judicial system is in danger of collapsing.”
Hamas has also spoken out against the ICC prosecutor, stating that the ICC “equates the victim with the executioner.”
The sources: ICC statement from Karim Khan, Bloomberg, Financial Times
