By The Smartencyclopedia Staff & Agencies
The International Criminal Court’s (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced on Monday his intention to seek arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leaders in connection with their actions during the seven-month-long war. The announcement sparked immediate condemnation from Israel and Hamas militants, followed by a decisive statement from the United States, which fundamentally rejected Khan’s approach.
“It is shameful,” stated U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in a written declaration. “Hamas is a brutal terrorist organization that carried out the worst massacre of Jews since the Holocaust and is still holding dozens of innocent people hostage, including Americans.” Blinken reiterated the U.S. position that the ICC lacks jurisdiction over the conflict.
Khan’s announcement came amid heightened military activity, as Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant—one of the individuals for whom an arrest warrant is being sought—announced an expansion of military operations in Rafah, a southern city in Gaza, in efforts to dismantle Hamas.
Further intensifying the regional tensions, Iranian officials announced that President Ebrahim Raisi and Foreign Minister Hossein Amirabdollahian were found dead after their helicopter crashed in fog. This incident has left Iran without two key leaders, as the country, a known supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah, continues its involvement in the conflict. Last month, Iran launched an unprecedented drone-and-missile attack on Israel.
ICC Prosecutor Khan asserts that Gallant, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and three Hamas leaders—Yehia Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh—bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza and Israel.
In Tel Aviv, U.S. National Security Adviser Jake Sullivan met with Gallant and Israeli military leaders to discuss the ongoing situation. Sullivan’s visit came two weeks into the intensified Israeli military operations in Rafah, where troops have been engaged in fierce battles with Hamas fighters, leading to a significant escalation in bombardment.
“I emphasized to him (Sullivan) Israel’s duty to expand the ground operation in Rafah, to dismantle Hamas, and to return the hostages,” Gallant posted on social media platform X.
Despite Israel’s aggressive stance, the Biden administration has opposed a full-scale invasion of Rafah due to concerns for the civilian population. Israeli forces have primarily operated in the eastern parts of the city, but the ongoing fighting has already displaced more than 810,000 Palestinians, according to United Nations reports.
Israel initiated its offensive following the deadly Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the deaths of about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals. The war has since claimed at least 35,000 Palestinian lives, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not differentiate between combatants and civilians. Approximately 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million population has been displaced, often multiple times, within the territory.
Sullivan’s discussions in Israel also included postwar plans for Gaza, amid rising internal political pressure on Netanyahu from other members of his War Cabinet. Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s main political rival, has threatened to withdraw from the government if a comprehensive postwar plan, potentially involving an international administration for Gaza, is not established by June 8.