In a historic development, the ICC is in the process of requesting arrest warrants for prominent members of the Israeli government and Hamas on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity. After Hamas attacked Israel on October 7 and Israel responded militarily in Gaza, deadly fighting broke out, leading to this development.
In an exclusive interview with CNN’s Christiane Amanpour, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan disclosed that the court is actively seeking warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas commander Yahya Sinwar for their respective cases. Aside from Netanyahu, two other prominent figures in the Palestinian organization—Mohammed Deif, who heads the Al Qassem Brigades, and Ismail Haniyeh, the political leader of Hamas—are also on the radar. Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant is also among those being targeted.
The head of a close U.S. ally has never before been the target of an ICC operation. Like Russian President Vladimir Putin and the late Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi, Netanyahu is now facing identical charges from the ICC. The serious accusations leveled against Sinwar, Haniyeh, and Deif include acts of extermination, murder, hostage-taking, rape, and sexual assault while in captivity.
Khan stressed the gravity of the October 7 attacks, in which about 1,200 were murdered in southern Israel and about 250 were captured as hostages by terrorists from Hamas. Tragic atrocities against innocent Israelis are exemplified by these hostages, a number of whom are still held in Gaza.
Following the announcement, Hamas slammed the ICC for treating “victims with aggressors” and demanded that all arrest warrants against Palestinian leaders be canceled. They also demanded that Israeli officials be held accountable for alleged crimes committed against Palestinians.
On the other hand, Israel’s response was as forceful, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu calling the ICC’s decision a “political outrage” and pledging to keep targeting Hamas until the captives are freed. Members of Israel’s government, such as Benny Gantz and opposition leader Yair Lapid, shared his view and blasted the International Criminal Court for comparing Israel’s behavior to that of Hamas.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) is currently waiting for a panel of judges to decide on the request for these arrest warrants; this decision might last for weeks or months. Given that ICC member states would be compelled to arrest and extradite the accused—including Netanyahu and Gallant—if the evidence presented is deemed sufficient, this process might make international travel for the accused more complicated.
Highlighting the court’s responsibility in investigating claims of war crimes and crimes against humanity, regardless of political affiliations or opinions, this extraordinary decision by the ICC emphasizes the enduring complexity and worldwide consequences of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
