The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Galant, as well as three leaders of the Palestinian movement Hamas.
What is known about the arrest warrants for the Israeli officials and Hamas leaders?
As noted, the Office of the Chief Prosecutor has collected evidence that makes it possible to bring to criminal responsibility the commander of the combat wing of Hamas, Mohammed Deif, the leader of the apolitical wing of the movement, Ismail Haniya, as well as the leader of Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya Sinwar, who is called the organiser of the militant attack on Israel on October 7, 2023 .
Deifa that day announced a military operation against Israel called "Al-Aqsa Storm".
All three are considered responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and in the Gaza Strip since October 7, 2023, by Hamas militants.
The list of crimes includes numerous attacks on civilians, torture, rape, and others. They are accused of killing hundreds of Israelis in the settlements of Kfar Az, Nir Oz, Nahal Oz, Beeri and at the Supernova music festival, as well as taking at least 245 hostages who were taken to the Gaza Strip.
Khan's office believes that the named Hamas leaders are responsible for planning the attacks and inciting war crimes.
As for the leaders of Israel, Yoav Gallant and Benjamin Netanyahu are criminally responsible for using starvation as a method of warfare, intentional harm to health, intentional killings, attacks on the civilian population of Gaza, and other crimes against humanity. All the charges relate to the military operation of the Israeli army in the Gaza Strip, which began in response to the attack by Hamas, the Office of the Prosecutor General reports.
They are also blamed for the siege of the Gaza Strip, the blocking of all crossing points and the blocking of humanitarian aid.
Israel's war in the Gaza Strip
Active hostilities between Israel and Hamas have been ongoing since October 7, 2023, when militants of the Islamist group launched a massive missile attack on the southern and central regions of Israel, invaded the country's territory, killed hundreds of civilians and took hostages.
In response, Israel launched a counter-terrorist operation and then a ground operation in the Gaza Strip. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stated that Israel's military goals are clear — "the destruction of the military and management potential of Hamas and the return of the hostages home." In early December, Israel expanded the military operation to the entire territory of the Gaza Strip.
According to Reuters, Israel wants to create a buffer zone in the Gaza Strip after the end of the war with Hamas to prevent future attacks.
On April 7, 2024, the Israel Defence Forces withdrew all ground forces from the southern part of the Gaza Strip. Only one brigade remained there — "Nakhal".
In mid-April, the Prime Minister of Israel announced that the IDF would conduct an operation in the city of Rafah, which is currently home to more than a million Palestinians. Evacuation of the population to humanitarian enclaves is planned.
The Israeli authorities are determined to conduct an operation and eliminate the last four Hamas battalions based in the city. There is also a task to eliminate the leaders of the militants.
