ICC issues arrest warrant for Israeli PM, former minister of defense

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif, whom Israel said was killed in Gaza in July.

The ICC’s pre-trial chamber dismissed Israel’s objections to the court’s jurisdiction, asserting there are “reasonable grounds” to hold the three individuals accountable for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Israel-Hamas conflict.

Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations, while Hamas said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant had set an “important historical precedent”.

According to analysts and observers, the impact of these warrants will in part depend on whether the ICC’s 124 member states – which do not include Israel or its main ally, the United States – decide to enforce them or not.

The warrants were broadly welcomed by human rights groups. Balkees Jarrah, an associate international justice director at Human Rights Watch, said they would “break through the perception” that certain individuals were beyond the reach of the law.