ICC seeks arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Hamas Leaders, 20 May 2024

[JennieM]

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has applied for arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas's leader in Gaza, Yahya Sinwar.

Karim Khan said there were reasonable grounds to believe that both men bore criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity from at least 7 October 2023.

Khan is also seeking arrest warrants for two other Hamas leaders - Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed al-Masri, and the Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant.

What did the ICC prosecutor say?​

The ICC prosecutor, Karim Khan, has released a long statement online. Here are some excerpts:

• He says he has "reasonable grounds" to believe Sinwar, al-Masri, and Haniyeh "bear criminal responsibility" for "war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of Israel and the State of Palestine (in the Gaza Strip) from at least 7 October 2023"
• "We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were part of a widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Israel by Hamas and other armed groups pursuant to organisational policies"
• On Netanyahu and Gallant, he says he has "reasonable grounds" to believe they "bear criminal responsibility" for "war crimes and crimes against humanity committed on the territory of the State of Palestine (in the Gaza Strip) from at least 8 October 2023"
• "We submit that the crimes against humanity charged were committed as part of a widespread and systematic attack against the Palestinian civilian population pursuant to state policy"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-69038760

 

[JennieM]

14:27

'Unconscionable crimes': More from Khan's statement​

Here are some more lines from ICC prosecutor Karim Khan's statement. This post will focus on the Hamas leaders - the next will focus on the Israeli leaders.
On Sinwar, al-Masri, and Haniyeh, Khan says:

• "It is the view of my office that these individuals planned and instigated the commission of crimes on 7 October 2023, and have through their own actions, including personal visits to hostages shortly after their kidnapping, acknowledged their responsibility for those crimes"
• "During my own visit to Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Kfar Aza, as well as to the site of Supernova Music Festival in Re’im, I saw the devastating scenes of these attacks and the profound impact of the unconscionable crimes charged in the applications filed today. Speaking with survivors, I heard how the love within a family, the deepest bonds between a parent and a child, were contorted to inflict unfathomable pain through calculated cruelty and extreme callousness. These acts demand accountability"
• "My office also submits there are reasonable grounds to believe that hostages taken from Israel have been kept in inhumane conditions, and that some have been subject to sexual violence, including rape, while being held in captivity. We have reached that conclusion based on medical records, contemporaneous video and documentary evidence, and interviews with victims and survivors"

'Death, starvation, great suffering': More from Khan's statement​

On Netanyahu and Gallant, Khan says:

• "My office submits that the evidence we have collected, including interviews with survivors and eyewitnesses, authenticated video, photo and audio material, satellite imagery and statements from the alleged perpetrator group, shows that Israel has intentionally and systematically deprived the civilian population in all parts of Gaza of objects indispensable to human survival"
• "This occurred through the imposition of a total siege over Gaza that involved completely closing the three border crossing points, Rafah, Kerem Shalom and Erez, from 8 October 2023 for extended periods and then by arbitrarily restricting the transfer of essential supplies – including food and medicine – through the border crossings after they were reopened. The siege also included cutting off cross-border water pipelines from Israel to Gaza – Gazans’ principal source of clean water – for a prolonged period beginning 9 October 2023, and cutting off and hindering electricity supplies from at least 8 October 2023 until today"
• "Israel, like all states, has a right to take action to defend its population. That right, however, does not absolve Israel or any state of its obligation to comply with international humanitarian law. Notwithstanding any military goals they may have, the means Israel chose to achieve them in Gaza – namely, intentionally causing death, starvation, great suffering, and serious injury to body or health of the civilian population – are criminal"

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-69038760

 

[JennieM]

On the Israeli side of his statement, ICC prosecutor Karim Khan's focus on starvation as a weapon of war, and the deliberate targeting of the civilian population, suggests that is where he believes the most compelling and available evidence against Netanyahu and Gallant lies.

On the Hamas side, as expected, the warrants for the three senior leaders focus on the October 7 attacks.

Khan must now convince a panel of pre-trial judges that the evidentiary threshold to issue indictments has been met.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/world-69038760

 

[JennieM]

What ICC arrest warrants mean for Israel, Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas

The Israeli and Hamas leaders are suspected of committing war crimes during the continuing war in Gaza.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Top UN court orders Israel to stop Rafah offensive​

IMAGE SOURCE, REUTERS
Image caption, Israel has said it would ignore any order to stop its offensive in Gaza

Raffi Berg
BBC News

24 May 2024, 14:47 BST
Updated 1 hour ago

The UN's top court, the International Court of Justice (ICJ), has issued a dramatic ruling, ordering Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive in Rafah".
It acted in support of a South African application last week which sought a number of measures against Israel, accusing it of stepping up what it says is a genocide.

Gaza war: ICJ orders Israel to stop Rafah offensive

In a dramatic move, the court supported a South African request to get Israel to halt its operation.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

Arrest warrants issued for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander over alleged war crimes​

IMAGE SOURCE, EPA / REUTERS / SUPPLIED
Image caption, Benjamin Netanyahu (L), Yoav Gallant (C) and Mohammed Deif (R)
David Gritten

21 November 2024

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) have issued arrest warrants for Israel’s prime minister and former defence minister, as well as the military commander of Hamas.

A statement said a pre-trial chamber had rejected Israel’s challenges to the court’s jurisdiction and issued warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.

A warrant was also issued for Mohammed 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” the three men bore "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war between Israel and Hamas.

ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and Hamas commander

Judges accuse them over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to Israel's war with Hamas.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[JennieM]

World reacts to ICC arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant

The ICC said it had found ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe that the Israeli officials were responsible for starvation in Gaza.

[…]

The court said on Thursday that there were “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival”.

World reacts to ICC arrest warrants for Israel’s Netanyahu, Gallant

ICC said it had found ‘reasonable grounds’ to believe that Israeli officials were responsible for starvation in Gaza.

www.aljazeera.com