The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Galant, as well as three leaders of the Palestinian movement Hamas.
This is stated in the prosecutorʼs statement on the courtʼs website.
The Office of the Chief Prosecutor has gathered evidence to prosecute the commander of the combat wing of Hamas Mohammed Deif, the leader of the political wing of the movement Ismail Haniya, as well as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip Yahya Sinwar, who is called the mastermind of the militant attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. Deifa that day announced a military operation against Israel called "Al-Aqsa Storm".
All three are considered responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023 by Hamas militants. The list of crimes includes numerous attacks on civilians, torture, rape, and others. They are accused of killing hundreds of Israelis in the settlements of Kfar Az, Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Beeri and at the Supernova music festival, as well as taking at least 245 hostages who were taken to the Gaza Strip.
Khanʼs office believes that the named Hamas leaders are responsible for planning the attacks and inciting war crimes.
As for Israelʼs leaders, the Prosecutorʼs Office believes that Yoav Galant and Benjamin Netanyahu are criminally responsible for using starvation as a method of warfare, intentional harm to health, intentional killings, attacks on the civilian population of Gaza, and other crimes against humanity. All the charges relate to the military operation of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, which began in response to the attack by Hamas.
They are also blamed for the siege of the Gaza Strip, the blocking of all crossing points and the blocking of humanitarian aid.
Now the decision must be made by the panel of judges of the International Court of Justice. Only in case of agreement, final decisions on the issuance of arrest warrants will be made.
- After the start of the IDF operation in Gaza, South Africa filed a lawsuit against Israel at the UN International Court of Justice. The country effectively accused Israel of genocide and asked for a cease-fire order pending the investigation.
- The court ordered Israel to take a number of temporary measures to prevent genocide in the Gaza Strip, but did not order an immediate end to the fighting as part of Israelʼs military operation against Hamas militants. At the same time, Israel declared that the war against the Palestinian group Hamas will last as long as necessary. It continues to this day (fighting is taking place on the approaches to the city of Rafah).
- In May 2024, Egypt joined South Africaʼs lawsuit.
- No international lawsuits were filed against the Hamas movement, which is recognized as a terrorist organization in the United States, the European Union, and Israel.