The International Criminal Court's prosecutor said yesterday he had requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defence chief and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in a statement issued after over seven months of offensive in Gaza that he had reasonable grounds to believe that all "bear criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

He said he had applied for an arrest warrant for Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant as well as for Netanyahu.

He has also sought arrest warrants for Hamas chief Yahya Sinwar; Mohammed Al-Masri, the commander-in-chief of the military wing of Hamas who is widely known as Deif; and Ismail Haniyeh, head of Hamas' Political Bureau.

It will be up to a panel of pre-trial judges to determine whether the evidence supports the issuing of arrest warrants. The court, however, has no means to enforce arrest warrants and its investigation into the Gaza offensive has long been opposed by the United States and Israel.

Meanwhile, Netanyahu said the ICC decision was absurd and that the move was meant to target all of Israel. "I reject with disgust the comparison of the prosecutor in the Hague between democratic Israel and the mass murderers of Hamas," he said.

"With what audacity do you compare Hamas that murdered, burned, butchered, decapitated, raped and kidnapped our brothers and sisters, and the IDF soldiers fighting a just war."

US President Joe Biden said, "Let me be clear: Whatever this prosecutor might imply, there is no equivalence — none — between Israel and Hamas."

Hamas in a statement said, "Hamas strongly denounces the attempts of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to equate the victim with the executioner by issuing arrest warrants against a number of Palestinian resistance leaders.

"Hamas...demands the cancellation of all arrest warrants issued against leaders of the Palestinian resistance, for violating UN conventions and resolutions."

South Africa welcomed the decision. "The law must be applied equally to all in order to uphold the international rule of law, ensure accountability for those that commit heinous crimes and protect the rights of victims," it said in a statement.

Meanwhile, Israel made a new push in central Gaza yesterday, bombarded towns in the north of the Strip and said it intended to broaden its military operation in Rafah despite US warnings of the risk of mass casualties in the southern city.

Gaza medics said at least 23 people had been killed in the latest fighting, and residents said battles were intense in Jabalia in the north of the Palestinian enclave.

Israeli tanks also carried out a limited incursion into areas of Wadi Al-Salqa and Al-Karara near Deir Al-Balah, a central Gazan city which Israeli forces have not entered during more than seven months of offensive, local residents said.

At least 35,562 Palestinians have been killed in Israel's offensive in Gaza, according to the enclave's health ministry yesterday. The toll includes 106 deaths over the past 24 hours, a ministry statement said.

Israel told civilians to evacuate parts of the city on May 6 and began troop and tank incursions. The UN agency for Palestinian refugees UNRWA estimates that 810,000 people have fled since then, possibly over half Rafah's wartime population.

Talks mediated by Egypt and Qatar have failed to secure an end to the Israeli offensive.

Qatar's Minister of State at the Foreign Ministry, Mohammed Al-Khulaifi, said yesterday he saw no political will to reach a ceasefire agreement in Gaza while military operations continued on the ground.

• Israeli ministers, Palestinian representatives denounce the ICC prosecutor's moves
• 8,10,000 fled Rafah in two weeks: UNRWA 
• Death toll in enclave rises to 35,562