TEHRAN, May 20 (MNA) – The International Criminal Court is seeking an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on charges of war crimes against humanity over the attacks on Gaza, the court’s chief prosecutor said.

Khan said the ICC is also seeking warrants for Israel’s War Minister Yoav Gallant, CNN reported.

The warrants against the Israeli politicians mark the first time the ICC has targeted the top leader of a close ally of the United States. 

A panel of ICC judges will now consider Khan’s application for the arrest warrants.

Khan said the charges against Sinwar, Haniyeh, and al-Masri include “extermination, murder, taking of hostages, rape and sexual assault in detention.”

The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include “causing extermination, causing starvation as a method of war, including the denial of humanitarian relief supplies, deliberately targeting civilians in conflict,” Khan stated.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after Palestinian resistance groups carried out a surprise retaliatory operation into the occupied territories.

Concomitantly with the war, the regime has been enforcing a near-total siege on the coastal territory, which has reduced the flow of foodstuffs, medicine, electricity, and water into the Palestinian territory into a trickle.

The Israeli war has killed at least 35,456 Gazans, most of them women, children, and adolescents. Another 79,476 Palestinians have sustained injuries as well.

SD/PR