Israeli authorities consider threat of ICC arrest warrants over war in Gaza | Israel War in Gaza News

Israeli media reports say the International Criminal Court may soon issue arrest warrants for senior Israeli government and military officials.

Israeli authorities are increasingly fearful that they could face prosecution by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over the war in Gaza.

After days of conjecture in the Israeli media, the Foreign Ministry said on Sunday night that it had issued warnings to senior political and military officials that they could soon face arrest warrants.

The ministry said it informed Israeli missions about “rumors” regarding prosecutions.

The ICC has given no indication that warrants are imminent and has not commented on the claims.

Israeli authorities have referred in recent days to an ICC investigation launched three years ago into possible war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian fighters since the 2014 Israel-Hamas war. Israel in occupied territories such as the West Bank.

‘Anti-Semitism’

Senior Israeli officials have demanded assurances from the ICC that Israel will not be targeted, suggesting that any action could constitute “anti-Semitism”.

Foreign Minister Israel Katz on Sunday pressed for the ICC to renounce any threat that it could target Israelis during the war, which has killed more than 34,000 Palestinians and pushed hundreds of thousands of people into starvation.

“We hope the court [ICC] refrain from issuing arrest warrants against senior Israeli political and security officials,” Katz said.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Friday that Israel “will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right to self-defense.”

Israel launched its latest war in the Gaza Strip on October 7, after Hamas carried out attacks in southern Israel, killing 1,139 people.

“The threat to capture the soldiers and officials of the only democracy in the Middle East and the only Jewish state in the world is outrageous. We will not bow to this,” Netanyahu posted on the X social media platform.

Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction, but the Palestinian territory was granted member state status in 2015.

In October, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said the court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes committed by Hamas fighters in Israel and Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.

Khan said his team is investigating whether any crimes were committed in Gaza and those who violate the law will be held accountable.

The investigation at the ICC – which tries individuals on allegations of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide – is separate from a genocide case brought against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), also based in The Hague.

The ICJ, also known as the World Court, is a United Nations court that deals with disputes between states.