The court also issued a warrant for the arrest of Hamas’s military chief, Muhammad Deif, accusing him, too, of crimes against humanity, including murder, hostage taking and sexual violence. Israel has said that it killed Mr. Deif in an airstrike, but the court said it could not determine whether he was dead. Mr. Netanyahu and Mr. Gallant are unlikely to find themselves in a courtroom standing trial on the charges anytime soon. The court has no police force to make arrests and neither Israel nor its chief ally, the United States, is among its member nations. But the order carries significant moral weight, it is likely to restrict the leaders’ travel around the world, and it further isolates Israel as it prosecutes wars in Gaza and Lebanon.

Source: International New York Times November 21, 2024 21:20 UTC