The Chief Prosecutor of The Hague Court seeks arrest warrants for the leader of Hamas and Benjamin Netanyahu

2024-05-20 13:25:15Kosova&Bota SHKRUAR NGA REDAKSIA VOX
Yahya Sinwar and Benjamin Netanyahu

The International Criminal Court is seeking arrest warrants for Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity following the October 7 attacks.

The chief prosecutor of the court, Karim Khan, confirmed the news to CNN.

Khan said the court is also seeking arrest warrants for Israel's Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, as well as two other senior Hamas leaders, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, head of the Al Qassem Brigades, better known as Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of Hamas. 

The warrants against Israeli politicians mark the first time the International Criminal Court has targeted the top leader of a close ally of the United States.

The decision puts Netanyahu on a list that also includes Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom the International Court of Justice issued an arrest warrant for Moscow's war against Ukraine.

Now, it remains for a panel of judges of this Court to consider Chief Prosecutor Khan's request for arrest warrants.

Khan said the charges against Sinar, Haniyeh and al-Masri include "extermination, murder, hostage-taking, rape and sexual assault in custody".

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