ARREST warrants have been issued for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence chief, accusing them of war crimes.

In a bizarre move another warrant was issued against a former leader of Hamas – who is thought to have been assassinated in an Israeli airstrike earlier this year.

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Former Hamas boss Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al Masri – also known as Mohammed Deif – is thought to have been killed in an airstrike on Gaza in July.

Israel has previously accused the International Criminal Court – which issued the warrants – of being anti-Semitic.

The warrants accuse each man of crimes against humanity after more than a year of brutal war in Gaza.

Hamas launched a horrific massacre in Israel on October 7 2023 – slaughtering some 1,200 people and kidnapping 250 more.

Israel then invaded the Gaza Strip with the aim of destroying Hamas and according to local health officials, some 44,000 people have died there since.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan’s decision to pursue a warrant against Netanyahu has previously sparked outrage, with one Israeli minister branding it “a distortion of justice.”

Israel’s opposition leader Yair Lapid today said: “Israel is defending itself against terrorist organizations that attacked, murdered and raped our citizens.

“These arrest warrants are a reward for terrorism.”

The arrest applications were previously submitted for Netanyahu, Gallant, Hamas’ now-dead political leader Ismail Haniyeh and military chief Deif in May this year.

Today the court announced it had rejected challenges by Israel and went ahead with the arrest warrants.

It said it found “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu and Gallant “bear criminal responsibility” for alleged war crimes.

They said the crimes include “the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts”.

The ICC said: “In light of the coordinated killings of members of civilians at several separate locations, the Chamber also found that the conduct took place as part of a mass killing of members of the civilian population, and it therefore concluded that there are reasonable grounds to believe that the crime against humanity of extermination was committed.”

It said the court also has reasonable grounds to believe that Deif had committed crimes of murder, extermination, torture, rape, and war crimes including the kidnapping of hostages.

PM Netanyahu raged in May: “Under my leadership, Israel will never accept any attempt by the International Criminal Court in the Hague to undermine its basic right to defend itself.

“While decisions made by the court in the Hague will not affect Israel’s actions, they will set a dangerous precedent that threatens soldiers and public figures.”

Neither Israel nor the US are members of the ICC.

When warrants are issued, every one of the 123 member states in the ICC is duty bound to hand over those individuals if they enter their territory.

It could also lead to an arms embargo or economic sanctions against Israel.

The last time the ICC issued a similar warrant was against Russian despot Vladimir Putin last year, for the illegal abduction of Ukrainian children.

Israel has faced international backlash over its handling of the war in Gaza – where much of the Strip has been obliterated and millions displaced.

Famine and lack of access to medical care is also a serious humanitarian issue in the war-ravaged enclave.

Some 100 hostages are still thought to be held hostage in Gaza.

It is not known how many of them are still alive.

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