Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu’s arrest warrant issued

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

The warrants were issued following ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s announcement on May 20, seeking action for alleged crimes related to Hamas’ October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel and Israel’s military response in Gaza.

The ICC clarified that Israel’s acceptance of its jurisdiction is not necessary. However, Israel has rejected the court’s authority and denied committing war crimes in Gaza.

Israel claims it killed Ibrahim Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in an airstrike, though Hamas has not confirmed this.

Netanyahu had previously dismissed Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing a lack of trust during the Gaza conflict against Hamas. The two had often clashed over Israel’s military response to Hamas’ deadly attacks on October 7, 2023.

In his statement, Netanyahu said that during the early months of the campaign, there was mutual trust, but it had eroded over time. He replaced Gallant with Foreign Minister Israel Katz, praising Katz for his contributions to national security.