The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Israeli defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif for alleged war crimes relating to the ongoing conflict in the Gaza Strip.

The warrants, approved by judges in The Hague on Thursday, followed a motion filed by Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan in May 2023.

According to the motion, Netanyahu and Gallant are suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to actions in the Gaza since October 8.

Khan has been investigating alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict for several months. Israel had challenged the warrants but the ICC judges dismissed the objections.

Hamas leader Deif has been sought for war crimes and crimes against humanity since October 7 last year, following the unprecedented massacre by Hamas and other groups on southern Israel.

There have been reports that Deif was killed earlier this year in an Israeli airstrike in Gaza. However, there has not been an official confirmation of his death.

Israel began its military campaign in Gaza to eliminate Hamas following the attacks on October 7.

The court statement issued on Thursday said that Netanyahu and Gallant “intentionally and knowingly deprived the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival” including food, water and medicine.”