The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday that it has rejected Israel’s latest appeal to suspend arrest warrants issued against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Galant.
Arrest warrants and charges
The court issued these warrants in November 2024, on charges of committing war crimes during Israeli military operations in Gaza after the October 7 attacks. Prosecutor Karim Khan accuses Netanyahu and Gallant of targeting civilians and using famine as a means of war, which Israel rejects and describes as politically motivated.
Details of the ruling and the continuation of the investigation
The ruling was issued by a preparatory panel of three judges, all of whom are subject to US sanctions imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump. Israel had argued that the memos should be suspended until the court clarifies whether it has the authority to prosecute Israeli officials, given that Israel is not a member of the court. But the Preparatory Committee rejected this claim, confirming the continuation of the investigation led by Attorney General Khan, while noting that there are two other Israeli appeals still under review, one of which challenges the court’s jurisdiction, and the other challenges the complementarity rule, which allows the court’s intervention only in the absence of national investigations.
US sanctions and court response
In August, the US State Department imposed sanctions on four ICC officials, including two judges and a deputy prosecutor, under an executive order reinstated under Trump. The sanctions included an asset freeze in the United States and visa restrictions. The court described this step as an attempt to undermine its judicial independence.
The position of the court and Israel
So far, neither the ICC nor Israel has issued any official comment on the latest ruling.
