ICC PROSECUTOR SEEKS ARREST WARRANTS FOR ISRAELI PM, DEFENCE MINISTER, 3 HAMAS LEADERS

Mon 20 May 2024:

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) has applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in connection with their actions during the seven-month war.

Karim Khan, the ICC prosecutor has also sought the arrest of three Hamas leaders: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh.

ICC arrest warrants sought for Israeli and Hamas leaders

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor has announced he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and three Hamas leaders. pic.twitter.com/1sbBTOAnI6

— INDEPENDENT PRESS (@IpIndependent) May 20, 2024

More on push for arrest warrants against Hamas officials

ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan seeks arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, chief of the military wing of Hamas, the Al-Qassam Brigades, and Ismail Haniyeh, the head of Hamas’ political bureau.

He said that they bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel and Gaza from at least October 7.

Extermination as a crime against humanity
Murder as a crime against humanity
Taking hostages as a war crime
Rape and other acts of sexual violence as crimes against humanity and as war crimes in the context of captivity
Torture as a crime against humanity and also as a war crime in the context of captivity
Other inhumane acts as a crime against humanity in the context of captivity
Cruel treatment as a war crime in the context of captivity
Outrages upon personal dignity as a war crime in the context of captivity

Hamas official: ICC prosecutor’s decision ‘equates the victim with the executioner’

The decision by the ICC prosecutor to seek arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders “equates the victim with the executioner”, a senior Hamas official told the Reuters news agency.

Sami Abu Zuhri also said the ICC decision gives encouragement to Israel to continue its “war of extermination” in Gaza.

A very good move in the right direction’

Human rights lawyer Geoffrey Nice has welcomed the ICC chief prosecutor’s move.

“I’m pleased to see that the law is now occupying the place it should,” he told Al Jazeera.

“Until now, politics has been suspected of holding back the application of the law and in a way that’s been very unsatisfactory – now the law is saying it’s going to play its part, so that’s a good thing,” he said.

Nice called it “a very good move in the right direction” but cautioned that the arrest warrants have not been issued yet.

“Don’t prejudge the issue, it’s an application for arrest warrants by Mr Khan in respect to people on both sides and we wait for the judges decision whether to confirm or not,” he said.

Israel’s Gantz: ICC prosecutor’s move is a crime of historic proportions

Israeli war cabinet minister Benny Gantz has denounced the application for arrest warrants against his country’s prime minister and defence minister by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court as “a crime of historic proportion”.

“Drawing parallels between the leaders of a democratic country determined to defend itself from despicable terror to leaders of a blood-thirsty terror organisation (Hamas) is a deep distortion of justice and blatant moral bankruptcy,” Gantz said.

Smotrich likens ICC prosecutor’s move to Nazi propaganda

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has likened the announcement of the International Criminal Court prosecutor on seeking arrest warrants for top Israeli officials to Nazi propaganda.

“We haven’t seen such a show of hypocrisy and hatred of Jews like that of the Hague Tribunal since Nazi propaganda,” Smotrich said on X.

He also said all Israelis should feel as though there are arrest warrants against them after the announcement by Karim Khan.

Khan earlier said it will apply for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

SOURCE: INDEPENDENT PRESS AND NEWS AGENCIES

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