The International Criminal Court (ICC) has reportedly issued an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. According to the reports, along with Netanyahu, the ICC has also issued an arrest warrant against former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Al-Masri. The ICC accused Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and inhumane acts, as well as the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. They allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, leading to severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.
The ICC said there were “reasonable grounds” to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare”.
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 the ongoing Israeli onslaught on Gaza and the continued detention of Israeli captives by Hamas.
The Chamber also accused Netanyahu and Gallant of “intentionally and knowingly depriving” Gaza’s civilians of food, water, medicine, medical supplies, fuel and electricity.
Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. The war between Israel and Hamas has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The key infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also reduced to rubbles as Israel vowed to wipe out Hamas.
The Court also found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering. The court ruling was based on the findings from at least October 8, 2023, until at least May 20, 2024.
“The Chamber assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza,” the court said.
The Hague-based court also issued a warrant for Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the Hamas military chief also known as Mohammed Deif. However, Israel claimed in August that it had killed Deif in an airstrike in Gaza earlier this year.
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