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The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ICC announced on Thursday that Netanyahu and Gallant are accused of committing crimes against humanity, including deliberately depriving Gaza’s civilian population of essential resources such as food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity, from October 8, 2023, to May 20, 2024.
In a separate ruling, the court issued an arrest warrant for Deif, also known as Mohammed al-Masri, accusing him of war crimes and crimes against humanity, including murder, torture, and sexual violence, during the October 7, 2023, attacks in Israel and subsequent violence.
Despite Israel’s claim that Deif was killed in an airstrike in southern Gaza in July, the ICC stated it could not confirm his death and proceeded with the warrant.
The court’s prosecutor, Karim Khan, initially applied for the arrest warrants in May, targeting Israeli officials Netanyahu and Gallant, as well as Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Deif.
Sinwar and Haniyeh were reportedly killed during the conflict.
Netanyahu, who is not a member of the ICC, has dismissed the allegations as a “disgrace” and an attack on Israel’s military and people.
Former Israeli Defence Minister Avigdor Lieberman declared Israel’s commitment to defending its citizens and fighting terrorism without compromise.
Lieberman posted on social media platform X that Israel “will not apologise for protecting its citizens and is committed to continuing to fight terrorism without compromise.”
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid condemned the court’s decision, characterising Israel’s war on Gaza as a fight for its life “against terrorist oganisations”.
Reporting from Amman, Jordan, Al Jazeera’s Hamdah Salhut said, “Israel did its best to discredit the ICC. It tried to challenge its jurisdiction … and Israeli politicians internally were doing everything they could to fight [the potential ruling].”
Meanwhile, the Gaza Ministry of Health reported devastating losses in the region, with at least 44,056 Palestinians killed and over 104,000 injured since the conflict began on October 7, 2023.
In Israel, 1,139 people were killed, and over 200 taken hostage during the Hamas-led attacks on that day.
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