The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former Defence Chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The warrants follow ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s announcement on May 20, where he revealed that he was seeking the warrants in connection with the attacks on Israel by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and the subsequent Israeli military response in Gaza.
The ICC has clarified that Israel’s acceptance of the court’s jurisdiction is unnecessary for this process. Israel, however, has consistently rejected the Hague-based court’s jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes in Gaza. According to Israel, Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, was killed in an airstrike, although Hamas has not confirmed or denied this claim.
Amid the Gaza conflict, Netanyahu dismissed Defense Minister Yoav Gallant due to a “breakdown in trust.” The tensions between Netanyahu and Gallant escalated following disagreements over the military’s retaliatory actions against Hamas after the group’s deadly attack on Israel.
Netanyahu emphasized the necessity of complete trust between the prime minister and the defence minister during a war. He noted that while there was initial trust and productivity, it had deteriorated over the months. Subsequently, Netanyahu appointed Foreign Minister Israel Katz as the new defence minister, praising Katz’s proven abilities and contributions to national security.
