Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. Photo: Reuters
Today, 21 November 2024, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an important decision regarding the arrest of senior Israeli officials. The ICC Pre-Trial Chamber unanimously rejected Israel’s objections and issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. This was reported by the ICC.
The warrants were issued on suspicion of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed between 8 October 2023 and 20 May 2024. In particular, these are actions that took place during the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, which began on 7 October 2023. According to the indictment, these events led to massive civilian casualties.
The ICC also notes that the Trial Chamber rejected Israel’s arguments regarding the legality and appropriateness of the arrests. At the same time, in September this year, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court filed a petition for the issuance of arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu, Defence Minister Gallant and leaders of the Hamas terrorist organisation.
Since the beginning of the conflict on 7 October 2023, Hamas launched an attack on Israel, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 250 hostages. In response, Israel launched a military operation that forced a large part of the Gazan population to flee their homes. According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, more than 30,000 Palestinians died as a result of the fighting.
