Earlier this week, the Gaza crisis saw a significant development. The Palestinian death toll has surpassed 35,000, with many victims being women and children. Gaza’s infrastructure is in ruins, and rebuilding will take decades even after the conflict ends. In response to an ongoing case by South Africa against Israel in the International Court of Justice, the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan KC, has taken action.
Karim Khan issued an application for arrest warrants for those he deems most responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. This includes three senior Hamas leaders, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. The charges against Netanyahu and Gallant involve causing extermination, using starvation as a method of war, denying humanitarian relief, and deliberately targeting civilians. ICC judges will now decide if these warrants should be issued.