The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Both are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in connection with the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza. Israel rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction, claiming that the ICC engages in “anti-Semitism”.
The ICC accuses Netanyahu and Gallant of deliberately depriving the civilian population of Gaza of access to basic necessities such as food, water, medicine and electricity between October 2023 and May 2024, Reuters reports.
The court further alleges that they used starvation as a method of warfare, which according to the ICC has caused a large number of civilian deaths and suffering to the civilian population of Gaza.
– There are reasonable grounds both individuals intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity, the ICC explained in a statement.
The court also considers that Netanyahu and Gallant can be held responsible as civilian leaders for attacks against the civilian population of Gaza. However, the arrest warrants are classified to protect witnesses and investigations.
BREAKING:
The International Criminal Court (@IntlCrimCourt) has issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, charging them with CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY and WAR CRIMES committed against the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/NhwEmjGaNT
— Dr. Anastasia Maria Loupis (@DrLoupis) November 21, 2024
Arrest warrants against senior Hamas leaders
On the same day, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, a senior Hamas commander, for alleged war crimes.
Al-Masri is accused of murder, torture, rape and other forms of sexual violence, and hostage-taking. According to unconfirmed reports, he was killed in action in July 2024.
Benjamin Netanyahu reacted to the arrest warrants issued by the Supreme Court in The Hague: – An anti-Semitic decision reminiscent of the Dreyfus trial. We will not succumb to pressure.
Netanyahu responds to the arrest warrants issued by the High Court in The Hague: “An anti-Semitic decision reminiscent of the Dreyfus trial. We will not succumb to pressure.” https://t.co/jRVlXzBsez pic.twitter.com/7mdf4EYXlI
— Open Source Intel (@Osint613) November 21, 2024
Recently deposed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant has previously described the ICC’s work as an attempt to equate Hamas and Israel.
– It is a despicable attempt to draw parallels between Hamas and Israel, which is exercising its right for self-defense, Gallant said in a statement in May 2024.
Under the ICC, member states of the Rome Statute are obliged to cooperate in arrests if the suspects travel to their territory. However, several major nations, such as the US, Russia and China, do not recognize the court, making it difficult to execute arrest warrants.
