What do war crimes arrest warrants for Hamas and Israeli leaders actually mean?

The MoJo Daily newsletter, Monday through Friday. [View in browser]( [Support our nonprofit journalism]( [Mother Jones Daily Newsletter](     May 21, 2024 Yesterday, I woke up to the news that International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan [announced]( that he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders—Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, and Ismail Haniyeh—for alleged war crimes. If a [panel of three ICC judges]( approves the warrants, Netanyahu and Gallant could face charges of crimes against humanity, including the starvation of civilians. The Hamas leaders could face charges including murder, taking hostages, and torture, related to actions during and following the October 7 attacks. Netanyahu has since said that Khan had created a "twisted and false moral equivalence between the leaders of Israel and the henchmen of Hamas" in seeking the warrants, and that the ICC was denying Israel’s right to self-defense. Hamas, for its part, said in a [statement]( that the ICC announcement "equates the victim with the executioner." This is, to be sure, a major development—at least on a symbolic level, particularly given the US's staunch support of Israel throughout this war. (American officials roundly condemned the news yesterday, with President Biden [calling]( it "outrageous," and Secretary of State Antony Blinken [alleging]( it could jeopardize ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire deal.) But as [David Bosco](, executive associate dean and professor in the Department of International Studies at Indiana University Bloomington, [told me yesterday,]( don't expect to see these Israeli or Hamas officials in handcuffs anytime soon. I called up Professor Bosco—an expert on the ICC—to talk through the significance and limits of yesterday's announcement. We had a fascinating conversation about how the warrants, if issued, could potentially limit the Israeli leaders' international travel; how the US responses reflect this country's history of "double standards when it comes to international justice," as he put it; and the limits of these international courts to mitigate the ongoing suffering unfolding in Gaza. [Read my full Q&A]( for this expert's take on how you should understand the latest development. —Julianne McShane Advertisement [Disabled Ecologies]( [Top Story] [Top Story]( [What Do War Crimes Warrants for Hamas and Israeli Leaders Actually Mean?]( "You can't just say: We're acting in self-defense and therefore the rules don't apply to us." BY JULIANNE MCSHANE MOTHER JONES MEMBERSHIP UPDATE   How about something different? That’s how we’ve been thinking about things lately, because when it comes to democracy and journalism, two things we care deeply about, crisis has become [the new normal](, and it’s time to try doing something new. We merged with the Center for Investigative Reporting. It’s such a [strong pairing](, and it’s been inspiring. So instead of all the doom and gloom in the news these days, and thanks to a reader’s comment, we’re focusing on our real sense of optimism as we kick off our first big push [for the donations we need]( since taking that exciting, but also kind of scary, step forward. There’s more in “[Less Dreading, More Doing](,” but if you just want to feel the excitement like we do, here’s video correspondent Garrison Hayes in a video from late last year that we’re just now sharing widely. And here’s [a link to pitch in]( if you can. [Donate]( [Trending] [These Child Sex Abuse Victims Had an Opportunity to Get Justice. The Louisiana Supreme Court Took It Away.]( BY SOPHIE HAYSSEN   [Inside Georgia’s Crusade to Make Bail Unpayable]( BY NIA T. EVANS   [Biden administration under pressure to end new deepwater oil export facilities]( BY OLIVER MILMAN   [Our fixation on forests as a climate solution is causing problems]( BY KATE YODER Advertisement [Disabled Ecologies]( [Special Feature] [Special Feature]( [A nationwide abortion ban could really happen. Thank Anthony Comstock's suitcase full of dildos.]( The law named for Anthony Comstock drove abortion underground and banned contraception. Now conservatives are hoping to dust it off to make abortion pills and even the Pill illegal again. BY ELEANOR COONEY Did you enjoy this newsletter? Help us out by [forwarding]( it to a friend or sharing it on [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Mother Jones]( [Donate]( [Donate Monthly]( [Subscribe]( This message was sent to {EMAIL}. To change the messages you receive from us, you can [edit your email preferences]( or [unsubscribe from all mailings.]( For advertising opportunities see our online [media kit.]( Were you forwarded this email? [Sign up for Mother Jones' newsletters today.]( [www.MotherJones.com]( PO Box 8539, Big Sandy, TX 75755