ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants Against Top Israeli And Hamas Officials

The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for several top leaders in Israel and Hamas, accusing them of committing war crimes, according to CNN.

Karim Khan, the court's prosecutor, told CNN's Christiane Amanpour that officials are seeking warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israel's Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' political leader Ismail Haniyeh, and the leader of the Al Qassem Brigades Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri.

In a statement, Khan laid out the charges, which stem from the October 7 attack by Hamas against Israeli civilians and the subsequent war between Israel and Hamas.

Some of the charges against the Hamas leadership include extermination as a crime against humanity, murder as a crime against humanity, taking hostages as a war crime, and torture as a crime against humanity.

The charges against the Israeli leadership include starvation of civilians as a method of warfare as a war crime, wilfully causing great suffering or serious injury to body or health, cruel treatment as a war crime, and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population as a war crime.

A panel of judges with the ICC will now convene and decide whether to approve the arrest warrants.

"Today, we once again underline that international law and the laws of armed conflict apply to all. No foot soldier, no commander, no civilian leader – no one – can act with impunity. Nothing can justify wilfully depriving human beings, including so many women and children, the basic necessities required for life. Nothing can justify the taking of hostages or the targeting of civilians," Khan said.