TPI requests arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Hamas leaders
Arrest warrants have been sought for the Israeli prime minister and Hamas leaders, accusing them of war crimes
Tribunal Penal Internacional (TPI) has sought arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and several Hamas leaders, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity.
TPI Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan KC stated that there are reasonable grounds to believe that both Netanyahu and Hamas leaders, including Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh, and Mohammed Deif, bear criminal responsibility since the Hamas attack on Israel on the 7th. October.
Khan also called for arrest warrants for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and highlighted the possible involvement of Hamas leaders in crimes spanning extermination, murder, hostage-taking and torture. TPI judges will evaluate the evidence to decide whether to issue the warrants, a process that could take weeks or months.
Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz sharply criticized the move, calling it an "unrestrained frontal attack" and a "historical disgrace." He announced the creation of a special command center to oppose the decision, claiming it seeks to restrict Israel's right to self-defense.
The conflict broke out on October 7, when Hamas attacked Israel, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,200 people and the taking of 252 hostages. In the current war, at least 35,500 Palestinians have died in Gaza, according to the territory's Health Ministry.
The TPI decision could have profound implications, especially if Netanyahu becomes the first leader of a Western democracy to receive an arrest warrant from the TPI. This would not only alarm Israel and its allies, but would also test the TPI's ability to impose limits and enforce international justice.
