A viral post shared on X claims the International Criminal Court (ICC) has purportedly issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders.

The International Criminal Court has just issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leaders.

Israel’s leadership is charged with

– Starvation

– Causing great suffering

– Wilful killing / murder

– Directing attacks against a… https://t.co/7LlMtwIk88

— Owen Jones (@OwenJones84) May 20, 2024

Verdict: Misleading

According to a statement shared on the ICC’s website, prosecutor Karim A.A. Khan KC stated he has only filed applications for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and three Hamas leaders. No official arrest warrants have been announced.

Fact Check:

Leaders from Ireland, Spain, and Norway recently announced they will “formally recognize a Palestinian state,” according to NBC News. A “formal recognition” of the Palestinian state will occur May 28, the outlet reported.

The X post, viewed over two million times as of writing, claims the ICC has purportedly issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leaders. According to the same post, “Israel’s leadership is charged with starvation, causing great suffering, willful killing/murder, directing attacks against a civilian population, crimes against humanity of extermination and murder, and persecution and other humane acts.”

The claim is misleading, however. According to a statement shared on the ICC’s website, prosecutor Khan KC stated he has only filed applications for arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masri, and Ismail Haniyeh.

“Today I am filing applications for warrants of arrest before Pre-Trial Chamber I of the International Criminal Court in the Situation in the State of Palestine,” Khan KC’s statement begins.

In terms of specific crimes, Sinwar, Al-Masri and Haniyeh are accused of committing murder, rape, torture, and taking hostages, among others. Similarly, Netanyahu and Gallant are accused of starvation, extermination and/or murder, and persecution, among others, the same statement indicates.

A spokesperson for the ICC directed Check Your Fact to the statement. (RELATED: Facebook Image Does Not Show Authentic Times Of Israel Headline)

Additionally, Khan KC’s statement is corroborated by a May 20 NBC News article. In the article, the outlet reported President Joe Biden labeled Khan KC’s move to apply for arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant as “outrageous.” Biden also said the U.S. “rejected” Khan KC’s decision.

Furthermore, on May 21, Reuters labeled the claim as misleading. Besides X, the claim also circulated on Facebook, the outlet noted.

This is not the first time misinformation about the ongoing Israel-Hamas War has spread online. Check Your Fact previously debunked a Facebook video that claimed to show Palestinian crisis actors staging a violent incident in Gaza.