Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as the military commander of Hamas, Mohammed Deif.
A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.
A warrant was also issued for Deif of Hamas, although Israel has said he was killed in an air strike in Gaza in July.
The Judges said there were reasonable grounds that the three men bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas.
Both Israel and Hamas have rejected the allegations.
Netanyahu condemned the ICC’s decision as antisemitic, while Hamas said the warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant had set an important historical precedent.
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 White House said the US rejected the ICC decision.
However, several European countries have said they respect the decisions of the court.
Source : BBC
