Iran’s supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei on Monday said that death sentences should be issued for Israeli leaders rather than arrest warrants.
The statement from Khamenei came in response to 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, addressing the Israeli leadership.
The ICC judges determined there were reasonable grounds to believe Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant bore criminal responsibility for actions including 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 responded with indignation to the decision, labelling it shameful and absurd, whilst Gaza residents expressed optimism that it would contribute to ending the violence and ensuring justice for war crimes.
Israel maintains its rejection of the Hague-based court’s authority and denies committing war crimes in Gaza.
The warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri includes charges related to mass killings during the October 7, 2023 attacks on Israel that initiated the war in the Palestinian territory, alongside accusations of rape and hostage-taking.
Israel claims to have eliminated Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, in a July airstrike, though Hamas has not confirmed or denied this information.