France (Washington Insider Magazine)— France, Belgium, and Slovenia have expressed their backing for the International Criminal Court (ICC) and its chief prosecutor’s request for arrest warrants for leaders of Israel and Hamas. This move has drawn sharp criticism from both Israel and the United States.
The arrest warrants are based on accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity occurring in the Gaza Strip and Israel. The warrants are sought for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders: Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh. Although Netanyahu and Gallant are not facing immediate arrest, the announcement on Monday is a symbolic blow that deepens Israel’s diplomatic isolation over the ongoing conflict in Gaza. In response, Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz is traveling to France.
Meanwhile, the situation on the ground remains dire. One of the last operational hospitals in northern Gaza, Kamal Adwan, was forced to evacuate after coming under fire from Israeli forces. Another hospital, Awda, has been surrounded by troops for three days. The Palestinian Health Ministry reports ongoing violence in the occupied West Bank, including a raid by Israeli forces in Jenin that resulted in at least seven fatalities and numerous injuries.
Israel’s military operations in Gaza were initiated after Hamas attacked on October 7, leading to the deaths of approximately 1,200 people in southern Israel, mostly civilians, and the abduction of around 250 individuals. The toll in Gaza has been staggering, with at least 35,000 Palestinians reported dead, according to the territory’s Health Ministry. The humanitarian situation continues to worsen, with around 80% of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents displaced multiple times due to the conflict.
The ongoing conflict has devastated Gaza’s health sector, with about two-thirds of its original 36 hospitals shuttered and the remaining facilities operating at limited capacity. Both Kamal Adwan and Awda hospitals had previously been besieged by Israeli troops, leading to significant damage and operational shutdowns. Despite Israeli claims that Hamas uses hospitals for military purposes, hospital staff deny these allegations.
