Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu lashed out Tuesday at the International Criminal Court prosecutor who wants to have him arrested on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Netanyahu called the ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, a "rogue prosecutor that has put false charges, that are both dangerous and false," during an interview on CNN, the network said.
Netanyahu also told CNN anchor Jake Tapper that the allegations against him and Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant were "beyond outrageous."
On Monday, Khan asked the ICC to issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant and three Hamas leaders — Yehya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — over alleged atrocities committed during the Oct. 7 Hamas attacks against Israel and the ongoing war it sparked.
The ICC typically takes about two months to decide whether to issue warrants and allow a case to proceed, according to the Associated Press.
About 1,200 people in Israel were killed and 250 were kidnapped during the surprise Hamas attacks, with about 100 hostages still being held captive.
The bodies of three hostages, including German-Israeli Shani Louk, were found by Israeli troops in Gaza, a military spokesperson said last week, and a fourth body was later said to have also been recovered and identified.
Health authorities in Gaza estimate that more than 35,000 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's relentless attempts to destroy Hamas.
The conflict has caused a humanitarian crisis that displaced about 80% of Gaza's residents and left hundreds of thousands on the brink of starvation, according to the United Nations.
