The Hague: The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Minister of Military Affairs, Yoav Gallant, over alleged war crimes against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
According to Islamic Republic News Agency, the court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I issued the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant “for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest,” as confirmed in a statement on Thursday. This marks the first instance in the ICC’s 22-year history that it has issued arrest warrants for senior officials allied with Western nations.
In its statement, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I, composed of a panel of three judges, announced that it rejected appeals by Israel challenging its jurisdiction. The chamber emphasized its decision to release the arrest warrants, citing “conduct similar to that addressed in the warrant o
f arrest appears to be ongoing,” in reference to Israel’s continued military actions in Gaza.
