The International Criminal Court (ICC) is pursuing arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, the Hamas leader in Gaza, and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the October 7 attacks on Israel and the ensuing conflict in Gaza.
In an exclusive interview with CNN's Christiane Amanpour, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan stated that the prosecution is also seeking warrants for Israel’s Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.
This marks the first time the ICC has targeted the leader of a close US ally, placing Netanyahu alongside figures such as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, both of whom have faced ICC warrants.
By seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders in the same action, Khan’s office may face criticism for equating a terror organization with an elected government.
A panel of ICC judges will now review Khan’s application for these warrants.
Khan explained that the charges against Sinwar, Haniyeh, and al-Masri include “extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape, and sexual assault in detention.”
He stated his team has substantial evidence, including authenticated videos, photographs from the attacks, and testimonies from eyewitnesses and survivors. The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant involve “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, denying humanitarian relief supplies, and deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.”
Although Israel and the United States are not ICC members, the court asserts jurisdiction over Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank due to Palestinian leaders accepting the court’s founding principles in 2015.
The ICC's announcement is separate from a case currently being heard by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which involves an accusation from South Africa that Israel is committing genocide in its conflict with Hamas following the October 7 attacks.
