ICC seeks arrest warrants for Hamas, Israeli leaders
Prosecutor Karim Khan says he has requested arrest warrants for the leaders of Hamas and Israel, accusing them of war crimes during the 2014 Gaza conflict.
In a statement released on Monday, Khan said that he had "reasonable grounds to believe" that Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had committed war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The announcement marks a significant development in the ICC's long-running investigation into the 2014 Gaza conflict, which killed more than 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis.
Khan said that his team had "carefully and impartially" assessed the evidence and concluded that there was a "reasonable basis to believe" that both Sinwar and Netanyahu had committed the crimes alleged against them.
He said that the arrest warrants were necessary to ensure that those responsible for the crimes were held accountable and to prevent further atrocities from being committed.
The ICC's investigation into the 2014 Gaza conflict has been controversial, with Israel and the United States both refusing to cooperate with the court.
Israel has argued that the ICC has no jurisdiction over the conflict, while the United States has said that it will not cooperate with the court because it does not believe that it is impartial.
Khan's request for arrest warrants is likely to further strain relations between the ICC and Israel and the United States.
Conclusion
The ICC's request for arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders is a significant development in the court's long-running investigation into the 2014 Gaza conflict.
If the warrants are granted, it would be the first time that the ICC has issued arrest warrants for leaders of a state that is not a member of the court.
The move is likely to further strain relations between the ICC and Israel and the United States, which have both refused to cooperate with the court.
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