The International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A. A. Khan KC announced on Monday arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar over war crimes in Gaza.
According to the ICC Prosecutor: “I can also confirm today that I have reasonable grounds to believe, on the basis of evidence collected and examined by my office, that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Minister of Defense Yoav Galant bear criminal responsibility for the following international crimes committed on the territory of the State of Palestine from at least the 8th of October 2023.
“The crimes include starvation of civilians as a method of warfare, willfully causing great suffering, serious injury to body or health, or cruel treatment, willful killing or murder, and intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population, as well as crimes against humanity of extermination and/or murder, persecution, and allegations of committing other inhumane acts.
“It’s alleged that these crimes were committed in the context of the ongoing armed conflict and as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza pursuant to a state policy. Unfortunately, these crimes continue to this day.
“My office submits that these individuals, through a common plan, have systematically deprived the civilian population of Gaza of objects indispensable to human survival. We have reached that conclusion based upon interviews with survivors, many eyewitnesses, experts from satellite imagery, statements from Israeli officials, including the two individuals subject to the present application, as well as based upon several hundred authenticated videos, photographs, and audio recordings, many of which were taken and shared by victims and eyewitnesses themselves.
“This systematic deprivation resulted from a decision to impose a total siege on Gaza by completely closing the three border crossing points, Rafa, Kerem Shalom, and Erez, for extended periods of time and by arbitrarily restricting the transportation of essential supplies, including food and medicine, through the border crossings after they were reopened. The total siege also involved cutting off cross-border water pipelines from Israel to Gaza, which is the principal source of clean water for the population in Gaza. It was cut off for prolonged periods beginning on the 9th of October 2023, and it was accompanied by the cutting off or hindering of electricity supplies to Gaza from the 8th of October 2023 until today.”
Meanwhile, Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has likened the announcement of the International Criminal Court prosecutor on seeking arrest warrants for top Israeli officials to Nazi propaganda.
“We haven’t seen such a show of hypocrisy and hatred of Jews like that of the Hague Tribunal since Nazi propaganda,” Smotrich said on X.
He also said all Israelis should feel as though there are arrest warrants against them after the announcement by Karim Khan.
More than 100 Palestinians have been killed in the past 24 hours, the Gaza health ministry said, as Israel intensified its attacks across the enclave.
Doctors Without Borders reports that the besieged al-Awda Hospital close to Jabalia refugee camp has completely run out of drinking water.
Earlier on Sunday, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi called for an international inquiry into “war crimes” committed during Israel’s war on Gaza.
Martin Griffiths, the UN humanitarian chief, has warned of “apocalyptic” consequences of aid shortages in Gaza as key Rafah and Karem Abu Salem (Kerem Shalom) crossings remain “effectively blocked.”
At least 35,562 people have been killed and 79,652 wounded in Israeli attacks on Gaza since October 7. The death toll in Israel from Hamas’s attack is 1,139, with dozens still held captive.