The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military leader Mohammed Deif. The court said the warrants were issued for war crimes and crimes against humanity that were allegedly committed from October 8, 2023, onwards.
The ICC’s statement explained that the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant were issued based on requests from the court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, in May 2024. Khan had accused the Israeli leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel's military actions in Gaza. Gallant, who was fired by Netanyahu on November 5, was also targeted by the warrants. The court said these crimes were committed during Israel’s ongoing military operations in Gaza following the October 7 Hamas attack, which killed over 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians.
In a separate statement, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, the military leader of Hamas. This was part of the court’s investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to Hamas. Previously, there had been an attempt to seek a warrant for Hamas’s former chief, Ismail Haniyeh, but this was dropped after he died in July 2024.
The arrest warrants were initially classified as "secret" to protect witnesses and keep the investigation secure. However, the ICC decided to release some details about the warrants to inform victims and their families.
Since the conflict began with the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, Israel has been engaged in heavy military operations in Gaza. According to the Gaza health ministry, the death toll from the conflict has surpassed 44,000, with more than 104,000 people wounded.
The fighting between Israel and Hamas continues to escalate, and the ICC's actions highlight the ongoing international scrutiny of both sides for potential violations of international law.