Survivors of the October 7th attacks and relatives of the deceased and hostages are intensifying efforts to persuade the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate what they claim are crimes committed by the Palestinian Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) in connection with the investigation into the attack and the Israeli response in Gaza.
Oudi Goren, whose relative Tal Himi (41 years old) was kidnapped on October 7th, expressed regarding Hamas leaders, "We want to ensure that the world is moving and that their freedom is restricted." Himi's death was later confirmed, and his body remains held in Gaza.
Israeli survivors of the Hamas attack and families of the deceased wish for the court to issue arrest warrants against Hamas leaders. Goren stated at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel, "We want to ensure Hamas leaders are imprisoned or unable to leave Qatar anymore, as this puts pressure on them to release the hostages."
Goren was part of a group of about 100 individuals from hostage families preparing to travel to the ICC headquarters in The Hague. Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction. However, Prosecutor Karim Khan reaffirmed to Reuters this week that the events of October 7th fall within the court's jurisdiction and are part of the ongoing investigation. He declined to provide further details about the investigation.
The families of the Israeli hostages, who carried pictures of the missing during their preparations to head to The Hague, will file the latest lawsuit in a series of such actions on behalf of the hostages. These legal actions aim to provide information to the prosecution and are part of a broader campaign to prompt the ICC to act against Hamas leaders.
