The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Galant, according to the court's press release.
As noted in the document, Netanyahu and Galant "bear criminal responsibility for the following crimes as co-perpetrators for committing the acts jointly with others: the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts."
It was also noted that Netanyahu along with Galant, being civilian superiors, are responsible for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population.
The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber found reasonable grounds to believe that both Netanyahu and Gallant committed war crimes and crimes against humanity by intentionally depriving Gaza civilians of essential goods like food, water, and medicine, violating international humanitarian law during the October 2023-May 2024 conflict.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, commonly known as 'Deif', for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes.
Despite reports of Deif's death, the ICC Prosecution, citing information from Israeli and Palestinian authorities, remains unable to confirm his status. Therefore, the arrest warrant remains in effect.
According to the ICC press release, Deif is responsible for murder, torture, sexual violence, taking hostages among others.
Palestine accepted ICC jurisdiction in 2014, formally acceding to the Rome Statute in 2015. In November 2023, the ICC received a referral of the Situation in the State of Palestine from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, and Djibouti, and in January 2024, the Republic of Chile and the United Mexican State additionally submitted a referral to the Prosecutor with respect to the situation in The State of Palestine.