Iran calls for death sentence to Israel PM Netanyahu after ICC's arrest warrant
Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday said that death sentences should be issued for Israeli officials rather than arrest warrants.
PTC News Desk: Iran's supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday said that death sentences should be issued for Israeli officials rather than arrest warrants.
Khamenei's statement followed the International Criminal Court's decision on Thursday to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defence chief, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
"They issued an arrest warrant, that's not enough... Death sentence must be issued for these criminal leaders", Khamenei said.
The ICC judges decided there were enough reasons to believe Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant bore criminal responsibility for actions such as murder, persecution, and using starvation as a weapon of war as part of a "widespread and systematic attack against the civilian population of Gaza".
Israel condemned the decision, calling it shameful and absurd, while Gaza residents expressed hope that it would help end the violence and ensure justice for war crimes.
Israel continues to reject the Hague-based court's authority and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
The arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri includes charges of mass killings during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which sparked the war on Palestinian ground, as well as rape and hostage-taking.
Israel claims to have killed Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in a July attack, although Hamas has neither verified nor rejected this information.