The International Criminal Court prosecutor’s office said on Monday it had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

Prosecutor Karim Khan’s office said it suspected all five - Netanyahu, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant and Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Al-Masri and Ismail Haniyeh - bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel or the Gaza Strip.

Israel has denied committing war crimes in the Gaza war, triggered by the Hamas-led attack on Israel on Oct. 7.

The ICC’s decision “equates the victim with the executioner”, a senior Hamas official told Reuters.

It will be up to the court’s pre-trial judges to determine whether there is sufficient evidence to issue warrants.