ICC issues arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over Gaza war crimes
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes related to the Gaza conflict. This marks the first time leaders from a democratic state have been charged by the ICC. The court claims there are reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant are responsible for war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare. The warrants put them at risk of arrest in any of the 124 countries that recognize the ICC. The U.S. government criticized the warrants, with President Joe Biden calling them "outrageous." Israel has rejected the ICC's jurisdiction and denounced the charges as biased. The warrants have been welcomed by human rights groups, who see them as a step toward accountability.