The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes in connection with the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.
The arrest warrants, which were approved by judges in The Hague on Thursday, followed a motion filed by chief prosecutor Karim Khan in May 2023.
According to the motion, Netanyahu and Gallant are suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to actions in Gaza since October 8.
Khan has been investigating alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict for several months. Israel had challenged the arrest warrants, but the ICC judges rejected the objections.
Hamas leader Deif has been wanted for war crimes and crimes against humanity since October 7 last year, following the unprecedented massacre by Hamas and other groups in southern Israel.
There are reports that Deif was killed in an Israeli airstrike on Gaza earlier this year. However, there is no official confirmation of his death.
Israel began its military campaign in Gaza to eliminate Hamas after the October 7 attacks.
The court statement issued Thursday said Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of items essential to their survival,” including food, water and medicine.
