International court prosecutor’s warrant requests for Israeli and Hamas leaders ignite fierce debate

By MIKE CORDER
Associated Press

THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — Prosecutor Karim Khan has broken new ground with his stunning announcement that he had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister and the leaders of Hamas on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. He has also set off fierce debate about the global court. As a panel of three judges began studying evidence Khan filed to underpin his request, reactions reverberated from Jerusalem to Gaza, to the United States and Europe. They range from outrage to outright support for the court as it was pitched into the midst of one of the globe’s most intractable conflicts.