The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and the head of Hamas’ military wing Mohammed Deif for war crimes and crimes against humanity .
“The Chamber issued arrest warrants for two individuals, Mr. Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr. Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least October 8, 2023 until May 20, 2024. less, the day the prosecution filed the requests for arrest warrants,” the ICC, which sits in The Hague, said in a statement, adding in another statement that a warrant was also issued against Mohammed Deif.
The arrest warrants were classified as “secret” in order to protect witnesses and ensure the conduct of investigations, the court said. But “the chamber considers that it is in the interest of the victims and their families that they are informed of the existence of the warrants,” she explained.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in May asked the court to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant (who was fired in early November by the Israeli prime minister) for war crimes and crimes against humanity suspected in Gaza. Mr. Khan also requested arrest warrants for senior Hamas leaders, including Mohammed Deif, on suspicion of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
According to Israel, Deif was killed in a July 13 strike in southern Gaza, although Hamas denies his death.
The Hamas government’s health ministry for Gaza announced Thursday a new death toll of 44,056 in the Palestinian territory since the start of the war with Israel more than a year ago. At least 71 people have been killed in the past 24 hours, he said in a statement, adding that 104,268 people had been injured in the Gaza Strip since the start of the war, sparked by an unprecedented Hamas attack against Israel on October 7, 2023.
