ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan has applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three top Hamas leaders—Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri (Deif), and Ismail Haniyeh—for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity. The charges stem from the Hamas-led October 7 attack on southern Israel and Israel’s subsequent war on Gaza. Khan stated that there are “reasonable grounds” to believe that these leaders bear “criminal responsibility” for the alleged crimes.

Khan's investigation revealed evidence that Israel intentionally deprived Gaza’s civilian population of essential resources, attacked civilians, obstructed humanitarian aid, and targeted aid workers, which forced many agencies to cease operations. Additionally, Khan asserted that Israel’s blockade of Gaza, including closing border crossings and restricting the transfer of vital supplies, was aimed at using starvation as a “method of war”. On the other hand, Hamas leaders are accused of being “criminally responsible” for the killing of hundreds of Israeli civilians during the October 7 attacks and holding captives in “inhumane conditions”, with reports of sexual violence against some captives.

Hamas has strongly condemned the ICC's move, arguing that the application for arrest warrants against both their leaders and Israeli officials “equates the victim with the executioner”. They contend that the charges fail to distinguish between their resistance efforts and Israel's alleged war crimes, thereby unjustly targeting their leadership.