ICC Prosecutor applies for arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant for war crimes

CAIRO -20 May 2024: Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court [ICC] Karim A.A. Khan applied to issue arrest warrants targeting officials who caused the current humanitarian situation in the state of Palestine.

The request included issuing an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, the Minister of Defence of Israel.

According to a statement issued by the ICC Prosecutor's office, he explained that there are reasonable reasons to believe that the Israeli PM bears criminal responsibility for war crimes against humanity.

“Based on evidence collected and examined by my Office, I have reasonable grounds to believe that Benjamin NETANYAHU, the Prime Minister of Israel, and Yoav GALLANT, the Minister of Defence of Israel, bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza strip) from at least 8 October 2023,” the statement said

The listed crimes in the statement included: “Starvation of civilians, causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health, willful killing, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime, extermination and/or murder, persecution as a crime against humanity and other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity.”

The statement added that the ICC Prosecutor office submits that the war crimes alleged in these applications were committed in the context of an international armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, and a non-international armed conflict between Israel and Hamas (together with other Palestinian Armed Groups) running in parallel.

“We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to State policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day.” the ICC Prosecutor's office stated.

The statement also demanded issuing similar warrants against three of Hamas leaders, “Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, and Ismail Haniyeh”

The statement beard the three officials criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel and Gaza strip from at least 7 October 2023.