ICC Denies New Arrest Warrants Amid Israeli Officials’ Claims
The International Criminal Court has stated that no new arrest warrants have been issued in the situation of Palestine, following reports that warrants had been sought against senior Israeli officials.
ICC Response to Reports of New Warrants
The ICC denied a report published by Haaretz on Sunday, which claimed, citing a diplomatic source, that the court had secretly issued arrest warrants for three Israeli politicians and two Israel Defense Forces (IDF) officials. The report did not specify when the warrants were allegedly issued or the names of the individuals.
ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet stated that the report was not accurate and that the court "denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine."
The ICC previously publicly issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, as well as for senior Hamas official Mohammed Deif, in relation to the Israel-Hamas war.
Smotrich’s Claim of Confidential Warrant
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich stated that prosecutors at the ICC have made a "secret" request for an arrest warrant against him.
Reports over the weekend suggested the ICC was preparing warrants against Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir due to their statements and policies regarding Palestinians in the West Bank. Smotrich did not specify the source of his information or the grounds for the warrant. The ICC prosecutor's office declined to comment on Smotrich's subsequent claims, citing confidentiality.
Smotrich described the ICC as "antisemitic" and said he would not accept "hypocritical dictates from biased bodies." He stated:
"The clumsy attempt to force upon us a policy of security suicide through sanctions and arrest warrants will not succeed."
He added: "On a personal level, they do not intimidate me. I am willing to pay personal prices in order to serve my people."
Evacuation Order and Reactions
Following his statement about the warrant, Smotrich announced he had ordered the evacuation of the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar, located east of Jerusalem in the Israeli-occupied West Bank. He said:
"The Palestinian Authority has started a war, and it will get a war. From today onward, every economic or other target within my power to harm...will be targeted."
Senior Palestinian official Wasel abu Youssef called the evacuation order "very dangerous" and urged an international response.
Background
Smotrich and Ben-Gvir are members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government. Both live in West Bank settlements that are considered illegal under international law. They have been sanctioned by countries including Australia for alleged incitement to violence and displacement of Palestinians.
The ICC has jurisdiction over crimes committed in the State of Palestine since June 2014. Israel is not an ICC member and does not recognize its jurisdiction, but the Palestinian territories were admitted as an ICC member state in 2015. The United States, a key Israeli ally, has opposed ICC action against Israeli officials and previously imposed sanctions on ICC personnel.
Separately, on Thursday, lawyers for a Palestinian Gazan man submitted a request to the ICC prosecutor to investigate 14 Hamas leaders for crimes against the Palestinian people. To date, no Hamas leader has been charged by the ICC for crimes against their own civilians. The ICC's chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, is under investigation for alleged sexual misconduct, which he denies.
The United Nations and other organizations have reported a surge in settler violence against Palestinians in the West Bank, with residents stating that the Netanyahu coalition's hard-line stance has emboldened settlers. Senior Israel Defense Forces members have expressed concern about the situation.