ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has urged judges to swiftly decide on arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside Hamas leaders, citing the court's jurisdiction over alleged war crimes in the Gaza conflict. Khan argued that delays could harm victims' rights and dismissed claims by Israel of conducting its own investigations into war crimes. The warrants were initially requested in May, with allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to the October 7 Hamas attacks and subsequent Israeli military actions. Netanyahu has condemned the accusations as a disgrace and vowed to continue military operations against Hamas, rejecting the notion of war crimes. Meanwhile, both Israeli and Palestinian officials have criticized Khan's pursuit of the warrants, which, if issued, may complicate international travel for Israeli leaders despite Israel's non-member status in the court. The ongoing conflict has resulted in significant casualties, with thousands of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes since the war began.