The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said that he is seeking to issue arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his Defense Minister, Yoav Galant, on charges of committing war crimes.
Khan explained in a press statement published on the court’s official website, that “taking into account the evidence collected and examined by his office, he has good reason to believe that Netanyahu and Galant bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
He confirmed that the evidence it collected, including interviews with victims and direct witnesses, documented audio and video documents, satellite images, and statements made by members of the group that allegedly committed these crimes, proves that Israel deliberately and systematically committed the deprivation of civilians.
He pointed out that the occupation imposed a complete siege on Gaza, by completely banning access to the three main border crossings, Rafah, Kerem Abu Slaem, and Beit Hanou and arbitrarily restricting the delivery of basic supplies such as food and medical supplies.
Khan also highlighted the issue of closing the water lines connecting Israel to Gaza – the main source of drinking water for the citizens of Gaza – for an extended period, starting on October 9, 2023, and interrupting and obstructing the electricity supply from at least October 8, 2023 until today.
The Office of the Prosecutor confirmed that these actions were part of a joint plan to deliberately starve civilians as a means of war and resort to other acts of violence against civilians in Gaza.
He stressed that the use of starvation as a method of war, along with other attacks and collective punishment applied to civilians in Gaza, led to severe, clear and well-known repercussions.
He pointed out that this method of warfare led to problems of malnutrition, dehydration, painful suffering, and an increasing number of deaths among Palestinian civilians, including newborns, children and women.
Source: WAFA
