Hamas leader Sami Abu Zuhri said on Monday that the International Criminal Court’s decision to request the issuance of an arrest warrant against three leaders of the Palestinian movement “equates the victim and the executioner.”

Reuters quoted Abu Zuhri as saying that the International Criminal Court's decision encourages Israel to continue its "war of extermination."

Commenting on the ICC’s request, a Hamas official told Reuters, “This decision equates the victim with the executioner and represents an encouragement for the occupation to continue its war of extermination.”

The International Criminal Prosecutor, Karim Khan, issued a request to issue arrest warrants for Yahya AlSenwar, head of the Hamas political bureau in the Gaza Strip, Ismail Haniyeh, head of the Hamas political bureau, and Mohamed Diab Ibrahim Al-Masry, due to their role in committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in the October 7 attack on Israel.