Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallan|US Secretary of Defense; President of Ukraine|CC BY 2.0; CC BY 4.0
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict.
Accusations include targeting civilians, using starvation as a weapon and restricting humanitarian aid.
Netanyahu and Gallant face potential arrest in 125 countries under the ICC’s jurisdiction. Israel and the US, both non-parties to the ICC, reject the court’s authority.
President Joe Biden called the move “outrageous” and reiterated US support for Israel, while Netanyahu pledged to continue defending Israel.
The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for top Hamas leader Mohammed Deif, who Israel claims has been killed in a July airstrike.
The October 7 Hamas attacks prompted Israel’s offensive, which has since drawn global criticism for causing over 44,000 deaths and severe humanitarian crises, according to Palestinian health authorities.
The warrants challenge US allies under ICC jurisdiction, such as European and Latin American nations, to act, potentially isolating Israel further.