The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued on Thursday an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (pictured) and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan applied for the warrants in May, claiming they are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
The ICC said it has reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare, and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. The court argued that there was "no justification" for restricting humanitarian aid and that Netanyahu and Galalnt's conduct "deprived a significant portion of the civilian population in Gaza of their fundamental rights." The court also noted that they had "measures available to them" to prevent these crimes but that they failed to employ them.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for the leader of Hamas' al-Qassam Brigades Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, accusing him of committing crimes against humanity and war crimes against Israel.
