The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas’s leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar
Karim Khan also says he’s seeking the arrest warrants of Hamas leaders Ismail Haniyeh, Mohammed al-Masri, and Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant.
Khan says he has “reasonable grounds to believe” the men bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In the Hamas leaders’ case, the alleged crimes begin “from at least 7 October 2023”
In the Israeli leaders’ case, the alleged crimes begin “from at least 8 October 2023”
Israeli politicians condemned the decision to apply for a warrant for Netanyahu, with war cabinet minister Benny Gantz calling it a “deep distortion of justice”
Senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri tells Reuters that seeking arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders “equates the victim with the executioner”.
He also claims the decision encourages Israel to continue what he called its “war of extermination”.
