THE International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
They are accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity over the war in Gaza.
The decision turns Netanyahu and Gallant into internationally wanted suspects.
Here is a full list of the crimes the pair are wanted for following the decision of the ICC:
- the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare
- crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts
- the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population
Another warrant was issued for the arrest of Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri.
Al Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, was the mastermind behind the October 7 attacks on Israel.
A statement from the ICC said: "With regard to the crimes, the Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu, born on 21 October 1949, Prime Minister of Israel at the time of the relevant conduct, and Mr Gallant, born on 8 November 1958, Minister of Defence of Israel at the time of the alleged conduct, each bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
"The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population."
The three-judge panel found that their conduct "led to the disruption of the ability of humanitarian organisations to provide food and other essential goods" to the population in need in Gaza.
There are “reasonable grounds” to believe that the lack of food, water, electricity and fuel, and specific medical supplies, created "conditions of life calculated to bring about the destruction of part of the civilian population in Gaza," which resulted in the death of civilians, including children due to malnutrition and dehydration, the court added.
Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC. Israel has rejected the court's jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
The ICC is a court of last resort that only prosecutes cases when domestic law enforcement authorities cannot or will not investigate.
Despite the warrants, none of the suspects is likely to face judges in The Hague any time soon. The court has no police to enforce warrants, instead relying on cooperation from its member states.
Even so, the threat of arrest could make it difficult for Netanyahu and Gallant to travel abroad although Russian President Vladimir Putin, who is wanted on an ICC warrant for alleged war crimes in Ukraine, recently showed he could still visit an ally when he travelled to Mongolia, one of the court’s member states, and was not arrested.
Netanyahu and other Israeli leaders have condemned ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan’s request for warrants as disgraceful and antisemitic.
