The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing them of war crimes.

The court, based in The Hague, stated it found "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu is responsible for war crimes, including using starvation as a method of warfare, and committing crimes against humanity such as murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts. This marks the first time an Israeli leader has been summoned by an international court over alleged war crimes linked to the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

While ICC warrants do not guarantee arrests, they could restrict Netanyahu’s ability to travel to ICC member states. Netanyahu's office dismissed the warrants as "absurd and antisemitic," describing the ICC as politically biased. They added that Israel is fighting a justified war after Hamas launched an attack, which it called the largest massacre of Jews since the Holocaust.

Israel, along with the United States, is not a member of the ICC and has challenged the court’s jurisdiction over its actions in the conflict. However, the court claims jurisdiction over territories Israel occupies, including Gaza, East Jerusalem, and the West Bank, based on Palestinian leadership’s formal agreement with the court in 2015.

The ICC also issued a warrant for Hamas official Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, accusing him of being responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes, including murder, torture, and sexual violence. Deif is allegedly linked to the deadly October 7 attack against Israel. Although Israel claimed to have killed him in September, Hamas has not confirmed his death.

In its ruling, the ICC stated that Deif had “criminal responsibility” for these acts, having either directly participated or failed to control forces under his command that committed the crimes.

Hamas welcomed the ICC's actions against Israeli officials but did not comment on the warrant for Deif. The group called this a historic step in addressing what it described as the injustice faced by Palestinians under Israeli occupation. Hamas also urged all nations to act against Israeli leaders and halt alleged genocide in Gaza.

The United States has strongly opposed the ICC’s involvement in the Israel-Gaza conflict. President Joe Biden has previously called the ICC’s decision "outrageous," emphasizing there is no equivalence between Israel and Hamas. The U.S. has also passed bills to sanction anyone involved in ICC actions against its allies, including Israel.

As of now, it remains to be seen how these legal proceedings will unfold, as the ICC continues its investigation into actions by both Israeli and Hamas officials.
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