Evaluated evidence

Amal Clooney recommended arrest warrant against Netanyahu

Amal Clooney was part of the team of experts who evaluated alleged evidence of war crimes.(Bild: AFP/Tolga Akmen)

On Monday, the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) requested arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leader of the terrorist organization Hamas in the Gaza Strip, Yahya al-Sinwar. It has now become known that Amal Clooney, wife of Hollywood star George Clooney, played a key role in the applications for arrest warrants.

As part of an international panel of experts, Amal Clooney evaluated evidence of alleged war crimes. This was announced by George Clooney's wife herself on the website of her organization "Clooney Foundation for Justice", which she founded together with her famous husband.

Prosecution of Hamas leader
The recommendation was to prosecute Sinwar, his deputy Mohammed Deif and the Hamas foreign chief, Ismail Haniya, who are responsible for the terrorist massacre on October 7, in which more than 1200 people were killed and 240 hostages abducted.

As Clooney announced, the Hamas leaders are to be held accountable for "war crimes and crimes against humanity, including hostage-taking, murder and crimes of sexual violence".

The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has requested arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.(Bild: APA/AFP/POOL/AMIR COHEN)

However, Netanyahu and his Defense Minister Joaw Galant were also targeted by the court on suspicion of "crimes against humanity". The group of experts led by Amal Clooney explicitly named "starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution and extermination". The prosecutors followed the recommendations of the advisors.

"Support the historic step"
Amal Clooney, who had previously remained silent on the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza, now wrote on her website: "I support the historic move by the prosecutors of the International Criminal Court to bring justice to the victims of atrocities in Israel and Palestine!"

Meanwhile, Biden described the actions of the chief prosecutor as "outrageous". Israel and Hamas should not be treated as equals, he said on Monday. "Contrary to the accusations of the International Court of Justice against Israel, this is not genocide," said Biden. "We reject that. We stand with Israel."

Nehammer: "Not comprehensible"
"We respect the independence of the ICC", explained Chancellor Nehammer (ÖVP) on Monday on X. "The fact that the leaders of the terrorist organization Hamas, whose declared goal is the destruction of the state of Israel, are mentioned in the same breath as democratically elected representatives of this very state is incomprehensible."