THE HAGUE/GAZA — The International Criminal Court, or ICC, in The Hague, on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders.

The announcement came as health officials in the Gaza Strip said the death toll from the 13-month-old fighting has surpassed 44,000.

In a statement, the ICC's pretrial chamber accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli defense minister Yoav Gallant of committing "crimes against humanity and war crimes" between at least Oct 8, 2023, and May 20, 2024, the date when the prosecution submitted the arrest warrant applications.

The ICC stated that there are "reasonable grounds" to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant "each bear criminal responsibility as co-perpetrators" for committing war crimes of starvation as a method of warfare, and crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.

The court's statement outlined a series of alleged crimes, including "intentionally directing an attack against the civilian population, and depriving the "civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity."

The ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Mohammed Deif, the commander of Hamas' military wing, accusing him of committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the territories of Israel and Palestine from at least Oct 7, 2023.

Although Deif has reportedly been killed by Israeli forces, the ICC noted that it cannot conclusively confirm his death. Prosecutor Karim Khan informed the court that available information from Israeli and Palestinian sources about his death remains inconclusive, leaving the arrest warrant active.

Hamas political bureau member Basem Naim said of the warrants against Israeli politicians that "it is an important step toward justice", but it "remains limited and symbolic if it is not supported by all means by all countries around the world". However, the Hamas statement did not refer to the warrant for Deif.

Different reactions

Israel and the United States denounced the decision, while some other countries welcomed the move.

Israel reacted with anger as Netanyahu denounced the ICC decision as "antisemitic". Netanyahu's office released a statement, calling the ICC a "biased and discriminatory political body" and rejecting the accusations as "absurd and false". Netanyahu vowed to press forward with Israel's military campaign in Gaza, stating, "I will not succumb to pressure, will not be intimidated, and will not retreat" until Hamas is defeated and the hostages held in Gaza are freed.

The United States "fundamentally rejects" the decision and "we remain deeply concerned by the prosecutor's rush to seek arrest warrants and the troubling process errors that led to this decision", said a National Security Council spokesperson.

Some European countries have backed the decision.

Italian Defense Minister Guido Crosetto said on Thursday, after the ICC issued a warrant that his country would be obliged to arrest Netanyahu if he visited.

The head of Iran's Revolutionary Guards on Friday described the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as the "end and political death" of Israel.

France on Friday toned down its reaction to the decision.

"France takes note of this decision. True to its long-standing commitment to supporting international justice," Foreign Ministry spokesman Christophe Lemoine said in a statement.

Lemoine on Thursday had said France's response would be in line with the principles of the Rome Statute but had declined to say whether Paris would arrest Netanyahu if he came to France.

Since early October 2023, Israel has conducted extensive military operations in Gaza. According to United Nations reports, the attacks have destroyed 60 percent of Gaza's buildings, nearly all hospitals, farmland, infrastructure, and universities, while inflicting widespread famine and hunger.

Gaza health officials have reported that more than 44,000 people, mostly civilians, have been killed in the Israeli attacks.

In developments on the battlefield, the Israeli military said on Friday it had "eliminated" five Hamas militants, including two commanders, in an overnight raid in northern Gaza's Beit Lahia.

Meanwhile, in eastern Lebanon, Israeli strikes killed at least 47 people on Thursday, a Lebanese official said, pressing the campaign against Hezbollah.

US mediator Amos Hochstein, who said a cease-fire was "within our grasp" during a visit to Lebanon on Tuesday, met with Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz. There were no immediate statements.

Indicating there were still gaps to close, a senior Lebanese official told Reuters that Beirut had sought changes to the cease-fire proposal, including ensuring a speedier withdrawal of Israeli forces from southern Lebanon.

Xinhua-Agencies