CNN
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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 over the October 7 attack on Israel and the ensuing war in Gaza. Karim Khan, the court's chief prosecutor, told CNN. Christiane Amanpour in an exclusive interview on Monday.
Mr. Khan said the ICC had arrested Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and two other top Hamas leaders, Mohamed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, the leader of the al-Qasem Brigades and known as Mohamed Deif. It said it was also seeking a warrant for Hamas's Ismail Haniyeh. 'Political leaders.
The warrant against an Israeli politician marks the first time the ICC has targeted the top leader of a close US ally. The decision means Prime Minister Netanyahu will sit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, for whom the ICC has issued an arrest warrant over Russia's war with Ukraine.
A panel of ICC judges will now consider an application for a warrant for Khan's arrest.
Khan said the charges against Sinwar, Haniyeh and al-Masri include “extermination, murder, hostage-taking, custodial rape and sexual assault.”
“The world was shocked on October 7 when people were torn from their bedrooms, their homes and other kibbutzim in Israel,” Khan told Amanpour, adding that “people suffered tremendously.” he added.
Khan told Amanpour that the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include “causing extermination and starvation as a means of war, including denying humanitarian aid, and deliberately targeting civilians in conflict.” He said that it includes “things”.
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Pictured is Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar (left) and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (right).
When reports surfaced last month that the ICC's chief prosecutor was considering this course of action, Prime Minister Netanyahu said the ICC arrest warrants against senior Israeli government and military officials were “an outrage of historic proportions” and that Israel “We have an independent legal system,” he said. We will strictly investigate all legal violations. ”
Asked by Amanpour about Netanyahu's comments, Khan said: “No one is above the law.”
He said that if Israel disagrees with the ICC, “despite their objections to jurisdiction, they will be free to challenge it before the judges of the court, and I advise them to do so.” .
Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC. But the ICC claims jurisdiction over Gaza, East Jerusalem and the West Bank after Palestinian leaders formally agreed in 2015 to be bound by the court's founding principles.
This story has been interrupted and will be updated.
