The supreme leader of Iran, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, a supporter of Hamas and Hezbollah militants engaged in conflict with Israel in Gaza and Lebanon, stated on Monday that Israeli leaders should face death sentences rather than arrest warrants.
Ayatollah Ali Khamenei made these remarks in response to the International Criminal Court’s decision to issue arrest warrants on Thursday for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense chief, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
“They issued an arrest warrant, but that is insufficient… A death sentence must be imposed on these criminal leaders,” Khamenei asserted, referring to the Israeli officials.
The ICC judges determined there were reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant bore criminal responsibility for actions including murder, persecution, and the use of starvation as a weapon of war, as part of a “widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza.”
This decision sparked outrage in Israel, which deemed it shameful and absurd. Residents of Gaza expressed hope that it might contribute to ending the violence and holding those accountable for war crimes.
Israel has dismissed the authority of the Hague-based court and denies any allegations of war crimes in Gaza.
The warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri includes charges of mass killings during the October 7, 2023, attacks on Israel, which initiated the conflict in the long-blockaded Palestinian territory, along with charges of rape and hostage-taking.
Israel has announced the elimination of Masri, also referred to as Mohammed Deif, during an airstrike in July; however, Hamas has not confirmed or denied this claim.
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