Middle East latest: ICC seeks to arrest Israeli and Hamas leaders as Gaza war deaths top 44,000

The International Criminal Court has issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his former defense minister and a Hamas leader. The court accused them of war crimes and crimes against humanity. Thursday’s warrant marked the first time that a sitting leader of a major Western ally has been accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity by a global court of justice. The arrest warrants were issued as health officials in the Gaza Strip said the death toll from the 13-month-old war between Israel and Hamas has surpassed 44,000. The war began when Hamas-led militants stormed into southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, killing some 1,200 people, mostly civilians.