The decision by the International Criminal Court to issue arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and a top Hamas official puts them in a small group of leaders to be accused of crimes against humanity.
The court issued warrants Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence minister, Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, a Hamas leader Israel claims it killed.
A three-judge panel from the court said the warrants were based on “reasonable grounds” that Netanyahu and Gallant bear responsibility for a war crime and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip, where more than 44,000 people have reportedly been killed and more than 104,000 wounded in the 13-month war between Israel and Hamas.
Netanyahu condemned the warrant, saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions”.
The warrant against Deif said there was reason to believe he was involved in murder, rape, torture and the taking of hostages amounting to war crimes and crimes against humanity for the militant group’s October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel. Some 1,200 people, mostly civilians, were killed in those attacks, and another 250 were abducted.
Hamas said it welcomed the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant after what it called decades of injustice by a “fascist occupation”. The Hamas statement did not refer to the warrant for Deif. Israel claims it killed him in an air strike, but Hamas has never confirmed his death.
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