International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas commanders

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Mohammed Deif, the military commander of Hamas. 

A pre-trial chamber of the ICC rejected Israel's objections to the court's jurisdiction and confirmed the warrants for the two Israeli leaders. Although the Israeli military has claimed that Deif was killed in a Gaza airstrike in July, the judges stated they could not confirm his death.

Netanyahu condemned the arrest warrant against him, saying Israel “rejects with disgust the absurd and false actions.” In a statement released by his office, he said: “There is nothing more just than the war that Israel has been waging in Gaza.”

The court has determined there are “reasonable grounds” to believe the three men bear "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the escalating conflict between Israel and Hamas. Both Israel and Hamas have dismissed the charges as unfounded.

A panel of three judges has unanimously decided to issue warrants for Israeli leaders Netanyahu and Gallant. They concluded there is enough evidence to believe that both men deliberately and knowingly withheld essential supplies, such as food, water, medicine, fuel, and electricity, from the civilian population in Gaza, which are necessary for their survival.

The enforcement of these arrest warrants now rests with the ICC's 124 member states, which notably do not include Israel and the United States. 

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan initially sought warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, Deif, and two other Hamas leaders, Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar, who have since been killed. The prosecutor’s case centres around the events following the Hamas attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and 251 hostages taken to Gaza.

In retaliation, Israel launched a military campaign aimed at dismantling Hamas, resulting in significant casualties in Gaza, with estimates from the Hamas-run health ministry indicating that over 44,000 people have been killed.

Khan has accused Hamas leaders of committing crimes against humanity, including extermination, murder, hostage-taking, rape, and torture. Meanwhile, the accusations against Israeli leaders involve deliberate attacks on civilians, the use of starvation as a warfare tactic, as well as murder and extermination. 

The arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) might put more pressure on Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu's government from the outside, especially as the US is trying to facilitate a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. However, these warrants may also boost Netanyahu's support among Israelis in the short term, as many citizens view the ICC's involvement as an intrusion into their domestic matters.