Benjamin Netanyahu, the prime minister of Israel, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In addition to Netanyahu, the ICC issued an arrest order for Ibrahim Al-Masri, a Hamas leader, and his former defense chief.
Following the announcement on May 20 by ICC prosecutor Karim Khan that he was requesting arrest warrants for alleged crimes related to the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks on Israel and the Israeli military response in Gaza, the action was taken when the warrant was issued.
Israel did not have to acknowledge the court’s jurisdiction, according to the ICC.
Israel has rejected the Hague-based court’s jurisdiction and denied any war crimes in Gaza.
This comes after Israel claimed to have killed Al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in an attack, but Hamas has not acknowledged this.
Tensions in the Middle East have risen in recent months as a result of the war between Israel, Hamas, and Iran, with Israel expanding its incursions into Lebanon and the humanitarian crisis in Gaza worsening.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli