AMSTERDAM: The International Criminal Court prosecutor's office said on Monday it had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.
Prosecutor Karim Khan's office said it suspected all five - Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Al-Masri and Ismail Haniyeh - bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel or the Gaza Strip.
“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 sate policy,” Khan wrote. “These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day.”
Israel has denied committing war crimes in the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct 7.
The decision to seek charges against the Israeli leader is controversial and comes despite a US warning that is could jeopardise the chance for a cease-fire deal.
“We’ve been really clear about the ICC investigation — we do not support it,” White House spokeswoman Karine Jean-Pierre told reporters last month. “We don’t believe that they have the jurisdiction.”
The Israeli government had been worried about possible arrest warrants for its leadership and the US has been publicly opposed to the ICC investigation.
Earlier this month, the ICC ordered an end to attempts to threaten its officials, days after the US and allies raised concerns that the court may issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
The ICC's decision "equates the victim with the executioner", a senior Hamas official told Reuters.
It will be up to the court's pre-trial judges to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to issue warrants.