‘Warrant not enough,’ Iran’s Khamenei demands death sentence for Netanyahu, Gallant
File image of Iran Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei. Photograph:( X )
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Khamenei's comments were in response to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
Khamenei's comments were in response to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
Iran's Supreme Leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, said on Monday (November 25) that death sentences should be issued against Israeli leaders instead of arrest warrants.
His comments were in response to the International Criminal Court's (ICC) recent decision to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri.
'They issued an arrest warrant, that's not enough'
“They issued an arrest warrant, that's not enough... Death sentence must be issued for these criminal leaders,” Khamenei said, referring specifically to the Israeli officials as per a report by Reuters.
The ICC judges had justified their decision by stating that there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Gallant were involved in crimes such as murder, persecution, and using starvation as a weapon of war, as part of a “widespread and systematic attack” on Gaza’s civilian population.
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Israel has dismissed the ICC's jurisdiction and denies allegations of war crimes in Gaza. Responding to the warrant, Netanyahu released a video statement, saying, “No outrageous anti-Israel decision will prevent us - and it will not prevent me - from continuing to defend our country in every way. We will not yield to pressure.”
The Israeli leader also criticised the ICC, calling it "an enemy of humanity" and described the arrest warrants as “utterly baseless,” adding that it marked "a dark day in the history of nations."
Aside from Netanyahu and Gallant, an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri accuses him of involvement in mass killings, rape, and hostage-taking during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel, which started the ongoing conflict in Gaza. Israel claims it has killed Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in a July airstrike, but Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied his death.
(With inputs from agencies)
