The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The decision comes six months after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested the warrants.
The court, based in The Hague, also issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, the Hamas military chief, whose full name is Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri.
Netanyahu, Gallant, and Deif face accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity for atrocities committed since October 7 last year.
The ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, consisting of three judges, rejected Israel’s appeals challenging the court’s jurisdiction. The arrest warrants were initially classified as “secret,” but the chamber decided to release them, citing ongoing violence in Gaza and the detention of Israeli captives by Hamas.
The court stated that making the warrants public serves the interest of victims and their families.
Under the Rome Statute, which established the ICC, all 124 member states are obligated to arrest and transfer the accused individuals to the court in The Hague. However, trials cannot begin without the suspects being present.
The ICC has no enforcement powers and relies on member states to cooperate in arresting and surrendering suspects.
