The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The ICC accused Netanyahu and Gallant of crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and inhumane acts, as well as the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare. They allegedly restricted essential supplies such as food, water, and medical aid to civilians in Gaza, leading to severe humanitarian crises and deaths, including among children.
Israel had launched attacks on Gaza in retaliation for the surprise attack by Hamas on October 7 last year. The war between Israel and Hamas has led to the death of thousands of civilians, while lakhs have been displaced. The key infrastructures in Gaza, including hospitals and schools, were also reduced to rubbles as Israel vowed to wipeout Hamas.
The Court also found reasonable grounds to believe the accused intentionally targeted civilians and limited medical supplies, forcing unsafe medical procedures, which caused immense suffering.
“The Chamber assessed that there are reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population of Gaza,” the court said.