The decision by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants citing alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defence minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas commander Mohammed Deif, has led to huge interest in the court, and what comes next. Here is what we know so far.
Why have the warrants been issued?
The ICC can only investigate and prosecute if the national judicial system of the countries concerned are not, in the eyes of the Court, conducting genuine investigations or prosecutions for the same alleged crimes.
"The primary responsibility is for the national judicial systems," Fadil Abdullah, the ICC spokesperson, told UN News. "However, if there are no genuine investigations or prosecutions, then the court has to investigate and to prosecute where the legal conditions are met. So that means that it's not enough to have a legal system, but there is a need to demonstrate that this legal system is active in relation to crimes or alleged crimes."
The warrants, related to alleged war crimes stemming from the year-long Gaza conflict triggered by the Hamas-led attacks in Israel, indicate that the judges have found reasonable grounds to believe the suspects are responsible for crimes under ICC jurisdiction.
