The InternationalCriminal Court (ICC) has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense chief Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri, citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza conflict.

The ICC judges found reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Gallant were responsible for acts such as murder, persecution, and using starvation as a weapon of war against the civilian population of Gaza

Israel condemned thewarrants as "shameful and absurd," while Hamas welcomed the decision, viewing it as a step towards justice.

The warrant for Al-Masri includes accusations of mass killings during the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, as well as charges of rape and hostage-taking.

Israel claims to have killed Al-Masri in a July airstrike, but Hamas has not confirmed his death. The ICC prosecution is continuing to investigate this matter

Israel rejects the ICC's jurisdiction and denies committing war crimes. The United States, a key ally of Israel, is not a member of the ICC. The court relies on its 124 member states to enforce arrest warrants, but it lacks its own police force to carry out arrests.

The ICC prosecutor had previously announced intentions to seek arrest warrants related to the conflict, which both Israeli and Hamas leaders have dismissed as unfounded.