The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Minister of Defense Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes committed in Gaza.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan, who is facing allegations of sexual misconduct, submitted the application for the warrants earlier this year. This application also included warrants against Palestinian terrorists, all of whom have since been killed by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
According to a report from The Times of Israel, this represents a significant legal development, as it is the first time the ICC has issued arrest warrants against leaders of a democratic country.
The three judges of the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber I unanimously issued the warrants based on charges of crimes against humanity and war crimes that Prosecutor Karim Khan claims occurred during the current conflict against Hamas in Gaza.
Both Netanyahu and Gallant could be arrested if they travel to any of the more than 120 countries that are party to the ICC. The court took action against Israel after President Joe Biden reversed the sanctions imposed by former President Donald Trump against ICC officials, which aimed to protect the U.S. and its allies from what were viewed as malicious prosecutions.
