The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said Monday he is seeking arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in connection with their actions during the seven-month war.

Karim Khan, the ICC’s chief prosecutor, says in his statement that he believes Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant and the three top Hamas leaders are responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Of the Israeli actions, Mr Khan said: “The effects of the use of starvation as a method of warfare, together with other attacks and collective punishment against the civilian population of Gaza are acute, visible and widely known. … They include malnutrition, dehydration, profound suffering and an increasing number of deaths among the Palestinian population, including babies, other children, and women.”

Of the Hamas attacks on October 7, he says he saw for himself “the devastating scenes of these attacks and the profound impact of the unconscionable crimes charged in the applications filed today”.

“Speaking with survivors, I heard how the love within a family, the deepest bonds between a parent and a child, were contorted to inflict unfathomable pain through calculated cruelty and extreme callousness. These acts demand accountability.”