ERBIL, Kurdistan Region of Iraq - The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas military chief Mohammed Deif for “crimes against humanity and war crimes.”

The Hague-based court issued the ruling against Deif for his involvement in the October 7, 2023 attack, while the decisions against Netanyahu and Gallant were issued for the Israeli government’s actions from at least October 8, 2023, until at least May 20, 2024.

The court said it found reasonable grounds that Netanyahu and Gallant each bear “criminal responsibility” for “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts,” as co-perpetrators.

“The Chamber also found reasonable grounds to believe that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant each bear criminal responsibility as civilian superiors for the war crime of intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population,” the statement added.

Hamas welcomed the ICC's warrants as “an important historical precedent,” calling on the court to also hold other leaders in the Israeli government and military accountable for their actions in Gaza. It did not address the arrest warrant issued for Deif.

“We also call on all countries around the world to cooperate with the court in bringing the Zionist war criminals, Netanyahu and Galant, and to work immediately to stop the crimes of genocide against defenseless civilians in the Gaza Strip,” read a statement from the Palestinian group.

Israeli President Isaac Herzog blasted the ICC for issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling the decision “outrageous”, and claiming the court has “chosen the side of terror and evil over democracy and freedom.”

“This is a dark day for justice. A dark day for humanity,” he wrote on X.

Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar criticized the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant, calling it “a black moment” for the ICC, describing the decision as “absurd”.

“These warrants are not merely personal attacks against them; in essence, they are an assault on Israel’s right to defend itself,” wrote the foreign minister, claiming that the court has lost all legitimacy.

The court also said it found reasonable grounds that Deif, head of the Izz al-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas, was responsible for crimes against humanity and war crimes including murder, torture, taking hostages, and rape.

Former Hamas politburo chiefs Ismail Haniyeh and Yahya Sinwar were both initially included in the prosecution’s application for warrants of arrest, but the application was withdrawn after Haniyeh’s death in August and Sinwar’s death in October.

“On 15 November 2024, the Prosecution, referring to information from both the Israeli and Palestinian authorities, notified the Chamber that it is not in a position to determine whether Mr Deif has been killed or remains alive. Therefore, the Chamber issues the present warrant of arrest,” the statement added.

On October 7, 2023, Palestinian Hamas launched the al-Aqsa Flood operation, an unprecedented aerial and ground attack into southern Israel that killed around 1,200 people.

In response, Israel launched a full-scale military aggression against Gaza which is still ongoing a year later. Over 44,000 Palestinians have been killed as a result of the Israeli offensive.