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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.
More on sought arrest warrants from ICC prosecutor
International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has announced that it is filing applications for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yaov Gallant.He said there are reasonable grounds to believe they bear criminal responsibility for the following war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza from at least October 8, 2023:
- Starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime
- Willfully causing great suffering, or serious injury to body or health
- Willful killing or murder as a war crime
- Intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime
- Extermination and/or murder, including in the context of deaths caused by starvation, as a crime against humanity
- Persecution as a crime against humanity
- Other inhumane acts as crimes against humanity.
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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