"I reject with disgust the comparison of the prosecutor in the Hague between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas," Netanyahu said, calling the move a "complete distortion of reality."U.S. Hamas demanded the arrest warrant request for its leaders be canceled.The ICC issued an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin in March 2023 over alleged war crimes in the Ukraine war, but Monday's step was the first time Khan has sought to intervene in the conflict in the Middle East. "Israel, like all States, has a right to take action to defend its population," Khan said. "That right, however, does not absolve Israel or any state of its obligation to comply with international humanitarian law . "This is a watershed event in the history of international justice," said Reed Brody, a veteran war crimes prosecutor.

Source: Economic Times May 20, 2024 11:58 UTC