The ICC prosecutor applied for an arrest warrant for the Israeli Prime Minister and the leader of Hamas

(Dan Tri) – The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced that he is seeking an arrest warrant for the Israeli prime minister and the leader of Hamas.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (Photo: Shutterstock).

In an interview with CNN on May 20, Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) Karim Khan said he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.

In addition, the ICC prosecutor also sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as two other top leaders of Hamas, including Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, leader of the Al Qassem Brigades better known as

A panel of ICC judges will consider prosecutor Karim Khan’s application for an arrest warrant.

Mr. Khan said the charges against the Hamas leadership group included `massacre, murder, hostage taking, rape and sexual assault in detention`.

Mr. Khan said that the charges against Prime Minister Netanyahu and Minister Gallant include `causing massacre, causing famine as a means of war, including refusing to provide humanitarian aid, deliberately

`The world was shocked on October 7 when people were dragged out of their bedrooms, from their homes, from different villages in Israel,` Khan said, referring to the Hamas attack on Israel.

After media channels last month reported that the ICC was preparing to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials, Prime Minister Netanyahu said that any arrest warrants issued by the ICC against senior Israeli military and government officials

When asked about Prime Minister Netanyahu’s comments, Mr. Khan said: `No one is above the law.`

He said that if Israel disagrees with the ICC, it has the right to appeal before the ICC judges.

In January, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), a separate judicial body, ruled that the Israeli military’s actions in Gaza amounted to genocide.

The current spiral of fighting between Israel and Hamas broke out on October 7, 2023, when the Palestinian militant group attacked Israeli territory, killing more than 1,100 people and taking more than 250 people hostage.

According to local authorities, tens of thousands of Palestinians have been killed in Gaza in Israeli airstrikes and ground attacks.