Mohammed Deif is the head of the Izzadin al-Qassam Brigades, the military wing of Hamas.
He is credited for helping plan and carry out numerous Palestinian terrorist attacks since the 1990s, which has led to him being informally known as Israel's "most wanted man" for almost 30 years, and is confirmed to have survived multiple attempts by Israel to eliminate him. He has also been designated as a terrorist by both the United States and the European Union.
Currently, Deif is widely believed to have been instrumental in the planning and carrying out of the October 7 massacre, which started the Israel-Hamas war in 2023.
At present, Deif is believed to still be at large in the Gaza Strip.
An arrest warrant was issued for Deif even though Israel had confirmed that he had been killed in an Israeli airstrike back in August 2024.
Hamas leader Osama Hamdan confirmed the death of deputy military chief Marwan Issa in an Israeli strike, while framing ongoing hostage negotiations as a victory for the militant group.
Hamas secretly buried Deif's body in an undisclosed location without publicly announcing the location.
“If there are no genuine investigations or prosecutions, then the court has to investigate and prosecute where the legal conditions are met,” the ICC stated.
The court said there is probable cause that Deif is responsible for war crimes and crimes against humanity, including taking hostages, rape, and extermination.
Former Israeli diplomat and former foreign ministry official, Yigal Palmor, told the Post that the warrants will have significant implications for international justice.
The ruling could prevent Israeli officials from traveling and comes as the government ignores legal advice to open a state inquiry.
"We set December 2, 2024, as the start date for the defense stage, having considered all relevant factors, including the state of war," the court judges said.
Netanyahu's attorney Amit Haddad stated that recent security developments made proper defense preparations "impossible."
Hamas also investigated suspects who allegedly leaked Deif's location to Israel which led to his assassination.
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