Hamas denounces request for arrest of three of its leaders by ICC prosecutor

Hamas has denounced the International Criminal Court's (ICC) chief prosecutor's request for arrest warrants for three of its leaders over the October 7 attacks in southern Israel.

In a statement released this Monday (20), Hamas said it “strongly condemns the ICC prosecutor’s attempts to equate victims with aggressors, through the issuance without legal basis of arrest warrants against a series of Palestinian resistance leaders.” .

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has issued requests for arrest warrants for Yahya Sinwar, Hamas' military leader in Gaza, as well as two other senior figures in the group – Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, leader of the Al-Qassam Brigades and more known as Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh, political leader of Hamas.

Hamas said arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over Israel's military campaign in Gaza arrived “seven months late”, during which time “The Israeli occupation has committed thousands of crimes against Palestinian civilians, including children, women, doctors, journalists and the destruction of public and private property, mosques, churches and hospitals.”

The prosecutor should have issued arrest warrants against “all responsible occupation leaders who gave orders and soldiers who participated in the commission of crimes,” the militant group added.

“Hamas calls on the ICC prosecutor to issue arrest warrants against all war criminals among the occupation leaders, officers and soldiers who participated in crimes against the Palestinian people, and demands the cancellation of all arrest warrants issued against leaders of the Palestinian resistance.”

Source: CNN Brasil

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