Hamas did not confirm until late last month the death of Deif (R), who was killed by Israel in Gaza last year [Oren Ziv/AFP via Getty]
The International Criminal Court on Wednesday scrapped an arrest warrant issued against Hamas’ late military chief Mohammed Deif, who was killed in an Israeli air strike last year.
The decision by the Hague-based court came after prosecutors earlier this month told its judges they had “sufficient and reliable information” that Deif was killed last July in Gaza.
“As a result, the Chamber decides to terminate the proceedings against Mr Deif and renders the arrest warrant… against him without effect,” presiding judge Nicolas Guillou said in a written decision.
Hamas did not confirm Deif’s death until late last month when the group issued a statement announcing his “martyrdom”.
Judge Guillou added the order was “without prejudice to pursuing again, should information become available that Mr Deif is still alive.”
Set up in the late 1990s to try those accused of the world’s worst crimes, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Deif in November last year.
At the same time it also issued warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant.
The independent court is investigating Israel’s conduct in its war in the Gaza Strip, launched the Hamas-led October 7, 2023, attacks, which Hamas said came in response to Israel’s ongoing occupation, attacks against worshippers in Jerusalem and siege on Gaza.
The ICC said it had “reasonable grounds” to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bore “criminal responsibility” for the war crime of starvation in Gaza, as well as the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution and other inhumane acts.
Netanyahu has dismissed the move as anti-Semitic.
