executioner

Hamas, meanwhile, accused the prosecutor of trying to "equate the victim with the executioner".

In at least one case, executioners were finally able to access a prisoner’s vein and complete the execution only by cutting into his arm.

"Due to state secrecy, Amnesty’s data does not include the thousands of people believed to have been executed in China, which remains the world’s lead executioner," the organisation said.

Hamas has also denounced the ICC prosecutor’s request to arrest its leaders, saying it “equates the victim with the executioner.”

“We deplore, denounce and are surprised by the decision of the International Criminal Court which places the accused, the victim, and the executioner in one cage,” said Zahir Essam, a 55-year-old living in Gaza City.