Hague  -  The International Criminal Court on Thursday issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister, as well as Hamas’s military chief Mohammed Deif.

The ICC’s move now theoretically limits the movement of Netanyahu as any of the court’s 124 national members would be obliged to arrest him on their territory.

“The Chamber issued warrants of arrest for two individuals, Mr Benjamin Netanyahu and Mr Yoav Gallant, for crimes against humanity and war crimes committed from at least 8 October 2023 until at least 20 May 2024, the day the Prosecution filed the applications for warrants of arrest,” the ICC said in a statement.

A warrant had also been issued for Deif, it added. Israel said in early August it had killed Deif in an air strike in southern Gaza in July, but Hamas has not confirmed his death.

The court said it had pressed on with issuing the arrest warrant as the prosecutor had not been able to determine whether Deif was dead.