Israel-Hamas war: Big trouble for Israel PM Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant, Hamas leader Deif as…

The ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri for his involvement in the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The criminal court held him responsible for igniting the Gaza conflict and taking Israelis hostage.

Arrest warrants have been issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and a Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri aka Mohammed Deif by the International Criminal Court on Thursday. The arrest warrants have been issued for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. 

The ICC judges were of the view that Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu and former minister Gallant are fully responsible for the starvation crisis in Gaza and persecutions of Palestinian people. 

The ICC issued a warrant for the arrest of Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri for his involvement in the attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. The criminal court held him responsible for igniting the Gaza conflict and taking Israelis hostage.

“The war crimes alleged in these applications were committed in the context of an international armed conflict between Israel and Palestine, and a non-international armed conflict between Israel and Hamas (together with other Palestinian Armed Groups) running in parallel. 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 State policy. These crimes, in our assessment, continue to this day,” the court noted.

This will be the first time the ICC ever issued warrants against leaders of a democratic country, Times of Israel said, adding that Netanyahu and Gallant would be liable to arrest if they travel to any country that is party to the ICC. Israel is not a party to the ICC. Israel says Deif was killed by an IDF strike in Gaza in July, as per Times of Israel.

Israel says Deif was killed by an IDF strike in Gaza in July, as per Times of Israel.
The Court charged Yahya Sinwar, Head of the Islamic Resistance Movement (“Hamas”) in the Gaza Strip, DIEF, and Ismail Haniyeh for ‘crimes against humanity’, including rape and other acts of sexual violence, outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime, in the context of captivity, among other charges, as per the ICC.