humanity. >> today, i'm filing applicio warrants of arrest before pretrial chamber one the international criminal court in the situation in the state of palestine. these are the outcome of independent investigations conducted by my office under the direction of the two principal trial lawyers standing behind me

today. brenda j. hollis, who in addition to leading our work of the situation of ukraine in the past couple of years has since january taken over leadership of the palestine investigation. and andrew kaley, king's counsel, who more recently joined theffice and will be leading our work on the situation in the state of going forward. >> on the basis of evidence collected by my office i have reasonable grounds tliat three hamas bear criminal responsibility for the following ternational crimes committed on t palestine from at least the 7th of october,

ex against humanity. murder as a crime against humanity and as a war crime. the taken of hostages as a war crime. rape and other as sexual violence during captivity as crimes against humanity and as war crimes.ng captivity as a crime against humanity and a war crime. other inhumane acts during captivity as a crime against humanity. treatment during capty as a war crime. and outrageous upon personal di captivity as a war crime. these crimes wereome context ofd co the applications and as part of a widespreadnd systematic attack against the civilian population

of israel, by hamas, and other armed groups. my office submits that there are reasonable groun believe that these three hamas leaders are cna responsible for the killing of israeli civilians and attackspe hamas and other armed groups on the 7th of october, 2023. the taking of hostages and the crimes alleged in our applications. my office has diligently collected evidence and eyewitnesss at the scene of at least six major attack loone applications arrive on evidence such as cctv footage authenticated audio, photographs, and video material, expert evidence, and statements by of other armed groups, including by the alleged perpetrators

themselves. sinwa, dif, and hania noty and crim submit committed on 7th of october, they acknowledged r ough their own words and by their actions. they are charged both as co-perpetrators and as superiors. my office also submits today that there are reasonable grounds to believe that taken from their homes, taken from their communities, ha kepts and that some have been subjected to horrendous sexual violence, including rape, while being held in captivity. we have re conclusion based upon medical records, contemporaneous video and documentary evidence and inte with survivors.

we are continuing our investigations into crimes committed on the 7thoctober, including investigating further reports of sexl violence, and r the immediate release of all hostages taken from israel and to their families. this is a fundamental imperative is a fundamental imperative demanded byconsence, morality, and international nitaan law. the hostages must be released immediately. i can confirm today that i have reasonable grounds to b the basis of evidence collected and examined by my office that israeli prime minister bennett you meant yahoo! -- benjamin netanyahu and minister of defense yoav gallant bear criminal responsibility for the

following international crimes committed on the territory of the statef para -- of palestine from at least the eighth of02 the crimes include starvation of civilians as a method of warfare , willfully causing great serious injury to body or health or cruel treatment. willful killing or murder. and, intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population. as well as crimes against humanity ofxtmination and/or murder, ponand allegations of crimes of committing other inhuman acts. it is a legend these crimes were committed in the context of the go conflict and thus, part of the widespread, systematic attack against the civilian population of gaza pursuant to state policy.

unfortunately, the crimes continue to this day. my office submits that these individuals, through a common plan, have systematically deprivedivilian population of gaza of objects indispbltoum. we reached that conclusion based on interviews with survivors, eyewitnesses, experts, from satellite imagery. statements from israeli officials. including the two individuals subject to the present application. as well as based upon several hundred authenticated videos, photographs, and audio recordings. many ofere taken and shared by victims and eyewitnesses themselves. this systematic deprivation resulted from a decision to impose a total siege on gaza by

completely closing the three border crossing poi rafah, kerem shalom, for extended periods of time restricting the trorntl supplies including food and medicine through the boarding crossings -- border crossisaftee total siege also iolving cutting off cross-border water pipelines from israel to gaza, which is the principal source of clean water for the pat gaza. it was cut off for prolonged periods beginning on the ninth of october, 2023. it was accompanied by the cutting off or hindering oy supa from the eighth of october 23 until today. that conduct took place alongside attacks that killed

civilians. including people queuing for food. the obstruction of aid delivery by humanitarian organizations, and attacks on aid workers that forcedanof those same humanitarian organizations to either ceasetions, or limit their lifesaving efforts in gaza. the tragic effect of the use of starvation as a method of warfare against gaza's civilian population is acute, visible, and widely known. it has been confirmed bymultipls including local and foreign medical doctors. that starvation is caused and continues to cause from malnutrition, dehyd, and profound suffering among the population. salmon is already present in -- famine is already president --

present in some areas of gaza and imminent my office charges benjamin netanyahu and yoav gallant as co-perpetrators in the commission of these alleged crimes. israel, like all states, has the right to defend its population. it has every right to ensure the return of hostages that have been criminally taken. those rights don't absolve comply with international humanitarian law. intentionally causing death, starvation, injury, and suffering to the civilian population including so very many women and children are criminal means to achieve mi and political goals. that is what we allege. as i have repeatedly since last year, in egypt, in and in palestine command

again this year -- palestine, and again these years -- this year those that don't comply with the law should not complain action based upon solidkes evidence. that day has come. today, we underlined, in the clearest possible fashion, that international law and the laws of armed conflict apply to everyone foot soldier, no comma, no civilian leader, no one can act with impunity. nothing on earth can justify willfully depriving human beings, including women and children, babies, the old and the young, of the basic necessities required for life. nothing on earth. nothing can justify hostagetaking or the targeting and killing of civilians.

the independent judges of this international criminal court are the sole arbiters as to whether the necessary standard for the issuance of warrants of arrests have been met. the judges of the international criminal court must be now given to do their work. and, to dispassionately and objectively review the evidence we have submitted. should the learned judges approve my applications and issue the requested w, i will work closely with the registrar of the port to e named individuals. i call upon and count on astates to their own statute, to approve the applications and the subsequent judicial decision that will be rendered with the same seriousss they have shown in other situations.

al ready to work with nonstate parties in our common pursuit of justice and accountability. it is critical, in this moment, that my office, and all parts of the court, continue to conduct our work with full independence and impartiality. i insist that all attempts to impede, intimidate, or improperly influence the officials of this court cease immediately. my office will notitact pursuans of article 70 of the rome statute. such conduct continues, and persists. we will submit further applications for warns of arrests,an we analysis, that thendependent and threshold of realistic prospect

of conviction has -- prospective conviction has been met. my office is advancing multiple, interconnected additional lines of inquiry including concerning reports of sexual violence during the seventh of october attacks in israel and in relation to t large-scale bombing that has caused and continues to cause so many civilian deaths and injuries and so much suffering in gaza. onflt tow my call for all partis comply with these basic principles of law without any further delay. i wish to emphasize that the principle of complementarity, a part of the rome statute, will continue to be assessed by my office■á■u as we take action in relation to the allegedmealled . and as we move forward with other lines of inquiry.

complementarity requires us nas only when they sincerelyage in independent and impartial judicial processes that do not shield suspects from accountability, and which are not a sham. it requires thorough investigations at all levels, addressing the policies and actions underlined these applications. today, i wishe very clearly. is my strong conviction that if we do not demonstrate willingness to comply with the law -- to apply the law equally, if it is seen as being applied selectively, we will be creating the conditions for its complete collapse. and in doing so, we would be loosening the remaining bonds that hold us together, the stabilizing connections between all communities, all individuals

, the safety net to which all victims look to in times of suffering. this is the true risk we face at isment. now, more than ever, we must collectively demonstrate that international humanitarian law, the foundational baseline for human conduct during conflict, applies to all individuals and applies equally across situations by office and by the court. this is how we will prove, tangibly, al this, that the lives■.jewish heritage month ate