ISRAEL: ICC Seeks Arrest Warrants Against Netanyahu, Gallant & Hamas Leaders

The International Criminal Court (ICC)'s chief prosecutor Karim Khan has told CNN that he is seeking arrest warrants to be issued against Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders. The Israeli ministers face accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity, while the three Hamas leaders face charges inclusinf extermination, murder, and taking of hostages. 

• A panel of ICC judges will now have to decide on whether to issue the arrest warrants. If they acquiesce to Khan's request it would mark the first time that the leader of a close US ally has been subject to an international arrest warrant. The most high-profile leader to be subject to an ICC arrest warrant to date is Russian President Vladimir Putin. 
• Neither Israel nor the United States are signatories to the Rome Statute, meaning they are not obliged to enact any ICC warrant. 
• The situation is somewhat muddied by the ICC claiming jurisdiction within the Palestinian Territories after the Palestinian Authority agreed to be bound by ICC principles in 2015. 
• Netanyahu has previously said the issuing of such a warrant “would be an outrage of historic proportions". If issued, the warrants will not mean the immediate detention of those named. However, it will limit their ability to travel to any of the 124 nations that are signatories to the Rome Statute. This includes most of Europe, South America, Australasia, and indeed neighbouring Jordan.