Arrest warrants have been issued by the International Criminal court for the Israeli Prime Minister and his former defence secretary.
The court issued the warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
In a statement, the ICC said it had found "reasonable grounds to believe" that Mr Netanyahu and Mr Gallant "bear criminal responsibility" for alleged crimes.
The court said the crimes in question include "the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts".
FM @gidonsaar: A dark moment for the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, in which it lost all legitimacy for its existence and activity.
It acted as a political tool in the service of the most extreme elements working to undermine peace, security, and stability in… https://t.co/HG9Cthe0FI
— Israel ישראל (@Israel) November 21, 2024
The court has also issued a warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri for war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In a statement, the Tánaiste Micheál Martin said he respected the authority of the court to issue the warrants.
“This decision follows the court’s determination that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the alleged crimes were committed by these individuals,” he said.
“Ireland is a strong supporter of the ICC and calls on all States to respect its independence and impartiality, with no attempts made to undermine the court.2
He noted that Ireland committed €3m in voluntary contributions to the court in the past year.
In a statement, the Israeli Government labelled the warrants "anti-semitic" and said it was ‘disgusted’ by “the absurd and false actions” of the court.
Al Masri is considered to be the mastermind behind the October 7th attack last year but Israeli intelligence officials believe he died in an IDF airstrike in July.
Around 44,000 people have died in Israel’s attacks on Gaza since Hamas launched its 2023 October 7th attack.
Main images shows Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Picture by: Abir Sultan/AP/Press Association Images
