Prosecutors seek arrest of Israel's PM andHamas leader for war crimes | BBC News

Prosecutors at the international criminal court haveapplied for arrest warrants for Israel's Prime MinisterBenjamin Netanyahu and the leader of Hamas in Gaza,Yahya Sinwar.

The court's chief prosecutor said there are reasonablegrounds to believe both men bear responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity, committedsince the Hamas attacks on October 7th and the subsequent war in Gaza.

Arrest warrants are also sought for Israeli defenceminister Yoav Gallant and Hamas's political leaderIsmail Haniyeh, along with the group's military chief Mohammed Deif.

The prosecutors accuse Israel of state-sanctionedtargeting of Gaza's civilian population includingextermination, murder and using starvation as aweapon of war. They accuse Hamas of extermination,hostage taking, torture and sexual violence.

Judges at the International Criminal Court will nowdecide whether they there is sufficient evidence to issue the warrants.

Mr Netanyahu described the application to arrest himas absurd and President Biden called it "outrageous."

Hamas demanded the "cancellation of all arrestwarrants issued against leaders of the Palestinianresistance" and said it violated their right underinternational law to resist Israeli aggression and occupation.

The accusations against the Israeli and Hamas leadersstem from the events of 7 October, when waves ofHamas gunmen attacked Israel, killing about 1,200

people and taking 252 others back to Gaza ashostages. The attack led to the current war, in which at

least 35,500 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza,according to the territory's Hamas-run health ministry.

Fiona Bruce presents BBC News at Ten reporting by Lucy Williamson..