Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) has on Friday rejected Israel’s request to cancel arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
According to Reuters, the ruling published on the ICC website, also dismissed Israel’s plea to suspend the court’s wider investigation into alleged war crimes committed in the Palestinian Territories.
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The court later withdrew Deif’s warrant after credible reports confirmed his death.
Israel, which does not recognise the court’s jurisdiction, has consistently denied committing war crimes in Gaza. The government maintains that its military campaign, launched after Hamas’ October 7, 2023 attack, is aimed at eliminating the militant group.
Israeli officials argued that an April appeals chamber decision ordering the ICC’s pre-trial chamber to review Israel’s jurisdictional objections meant there was no valid legal basis for the warrants.
However, ICC judges rejected this claim, calling Israel’s interpretation “incorrect.” They ruled that Israel’s jurisdictional challenge remains under review, meaning the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant will stay active until a specific ruling is issued.
The court did not provide a timeline for when it would deliver its decision on jurisdiction.
The case has deepened international tensions over the Gaza conflict.
In June, the United States imposed sanctions on four ICC judges an unprecedented move widely seen as retaliation for the tribunal’s decision to target Israel’s top leaders.
Two of the sanctioned judges were among those who ruled this week against Israel’s request to withdraw the warrants.