Palestinians look at the rubble of a family house hit in Israeli bombing in Tal as-Sultan, Rafah, on May 20, 2024
On May 20, after months of gathering evidence, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as well as for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar; the head of the movement’s political bureau, Ismail Haniyeh; and the head of its military wing, Mohammed Deif.
Netanyahu and Gallant are accused of using “starvation of civilians as a method of warfare”, “extermination”, “willfully causing great suffering” and deliberately “directing attacks against civilians”.
The Hamas leaders are accused of “extermination”, “taking hostages” and “torture”.
Khan’s announcement marks the first time an ICC chief prosecutor has sought to prosecute senior officials from a close ally of the United States, marking a significant moment in the body’s history.
