ICC judges stated that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant were criminally responsible for acts including murder, persecution, and using starvation as a weapon during what they described as a "widespread and systematic attack against Gaza's civilian population."
The warrants have been met with fierce backlash in Israel, which dismissed the court's actions as "shameful" and "anti-Semitic." Netanyahu vowed to continue Israel's military operations, declaring he would "not yield to pressure." Gallant has yet to comment.
The ICC also issued a warrant for Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, accusing him of mass killings, hostage-taking, and rape during the October 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel, which killed 1,200 people and resulted in more than 250 hostages.
Israel claims to have killed Al-Masri in an airstrike in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. The ICC stated it would continue investigating reports of his death while proceeding with the case.
The ICC has no police force and relies on its 124 member states for enforcement. While some, like the Netherlands, have expressed readiness to act, others may resist. The U.S. and Israel, neither of which are ICC members, have rejected the court's jurisdiction and its allegations.
Israel’s war on Gaza has claimed an estimated 44,000 Palestinian lives and displaced millions, according to Gaza officials. The conflict began in response to a Hamas-led attack in October 2023, which Israel says killed 1,200 people in southern Israel. Both sides have faced allegations of war crimes during the 13-month conflict.
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Source: Reuters, IAR