Court also issues warrant for Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif, six months after request by prosecutor Karim Khan
By Sondos Asem and Dania Akkad, Middle East Eye
The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, six months after chief prosecutor Karim Khan requested them.
It is the first instance in the court’s 22-year history it has issued arrest warrants for western-allied senior officials.
The Hague-based court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the Hamas military chief better known as Mohammed Deif, despite Israeli claims that he was killed in Gaza.
The Israelis and Deif are accused of a range of war crimes and crimes against humanity over atrocities committed since 7 October last year.
In its statement, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, a panel of three judges, said it has rejected appeals by Israel challenging its jurisdiction.
The chamber said the arrest warrants are classified as “secret” but that it has decided to release them because “conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant of arrest appears to be ongoing”, referring to Israel’s ongoing onslaught on Gaza and the continued detention of Israeli captives by Hamas.
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