Karim AA Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, said in May that he was applying for the arrest of Prime Minister Netanyahu, Gallant and other senior Israeli officials. He also sought arrest warrants for Hamas officials who have played key roles in the ongoing war, including leader Yahya Sinwar, who was killed in Gaza in October.
On Thursday, a court issued another arrest warrant for Deif, the alleged mastermind of the October 7 terrorist attack that Israel announced earlier this year.
Deiff has been accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes, including for his role in the October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took about 250 hostages. Israeli authorities have announced that it has become a major escalation in the decades-old conflict.
The ICC noted that Mr. Khan had originally applied for arrest warrants for Mr. Sinwar and for Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was assassinated by Israel in July. However, the application was reportedly withdrawn after the death was confirmed.
Three years ago, the tribunal began investigating possible war crimes committed by both Israeli and Palestinian militants dating back to the 2014 Israel-Hamas war.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu labeled Khan a “rogue prosecutor who is trying to demonize the only Jewish state.”
And Thursday’s developments drew swift condemnation from Israeli officials, with President Isaac Herzog saying the arrest warrant meant “a dark day for justice” and “a dark day for humanity.”
“The ICC’s outrageous decisions, made in bad faith, have turned universal justice into a universal laughing stock,” he said.
Rep. Mike Walz (R-Fla.), President-elect Donald Trump’s choice to be his national security adviser, criticized the ICC as having “no credibility.”
“Israel has legally protected its people and borders from genocidal terrorists, and we can expect a strong response from the ICC and the United Nations against anti-Semitic bigotry in January,” he said in a post on X.
President Joe Biden previously denounced the ICC’s efforts to issue the arrest warrant as “outrageous” and suggested it implied a false “equivalence” between Israel and Hamas.
Some leading human rights activists welcomed the decision.
Kenneth Roth, former executive director of Human Rights Watch, told NBC News: “The court’s issuance of the arrest warrant is an important step forward in justice for Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who have until now largely perceived injustice. ” he said.
“All 125 members of the International Criminal Court have an obligation to arrest Prime Minister Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant if they attempt to set foot on their territory,” he said on Thursday. For Mr. Gallant, the world suddenly became much smaller.”
Ross said governments providing military aid to Israel should also take note, including the United States, the largest arms supplier.
“Governments that continue to supply arms to Israel as these crimes continue, and indeed do so, must do so with caution that they may be prosecuted for aiding and abetting these crimes,” he said. “There is,” he said.
