Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials over the ongoing conflict in the besieged Gaza.
"The ICC must issue arrest warrants for criminals as a precautionary step to stop the killing machine," Shtayyeh said on Monday during a Cabinet meeting in the occupied West Bank city of Ramallah.
"I salute the countries that will submit referrals to the ICC to prosecute criminals," he added, without providing any further details.
The Palestinian premier went on to call for action "to stop the (Israeli) aggression that has turned Gaza into a valley of blood."
Humanitarian catastrophe
The Israeli army has launched air and ground attacks on Gaza following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 9,770 Palestinians, including 4,800 children and 2,550 women, have been killed in the Israeli bombardments in Gaza. The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.
Besides the large number of casualties and massive displacements, basic supplies are running low for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents due to the Israeli blockade.
