ICC Issues Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas Commander Over War Crimes

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, accusing them of war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The ICC’s pre-trial chamber stated that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe all three men bear responsibility for atrocities committed during the conflict between Israel and Hamas. These include allegations of murder, persecution, torture, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war.

For Netanyahu and Gallant, the charges stem from Israel’s military response to Hamas’s deadly October 7, 2023, attack, which left 1,200 Israelis dead and 251 abducted to Gaza. Gaza’s Hamas-led health ministry reports over 44,000 deaths during Israel’s subsequent military campaign.

The ICC accuses Deif, Hamas’s military leader, of orchestrating crimes such as murder, extermination, rape, and hostage-taking during the initial attack. Despite Israel’s claim that Deif was killed in an airstrike in July, the ICC included him in the warrants.

Reactions

• Israel dismissed the ICC’s decision as “antisemitic” and reaffirmed its stance that the court lacks jurisdiction over the matter, as Israel is not a signatory to the ICC.
• Hamas hailed the warrants for Israeli leaders as a “historic precedent,” while rejecting the charges against its own commander.
• United States condemned the ICC’s actions, while European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell called for respecting and implementing the court’s decisions.

The warrants raise questions about enforcement, as neither Israel nor Hamas recognize the ICC, and compliance depends on the court’s 124 member states. The development marks a pivotal moment in international law’s attempt to address the human toll of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.