ICC rejects 'Israel’s' request to suspend Netanyahu, Gallant arrest warrants

Judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Wednesday rejected 'Israel’s' request to cancel the arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, pending a review of 'Israel’s' challenge to the court’s jurisdiction over the genocide in Gaza.

In a decision published on the court’s website, the judges also turned down 'Israel’s' request to suspend the broader investigation into alleged atrocities committed in the Palestinian territories, according to Reuters.

The ICC issued arrest warrants on November 21 for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, a senior Hamas military leader, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the Gaza war.

In February, the court said it had withdrawn the warrant for Deif following credible reports of his death.

'Israel' rejects the ICC’s jurisdiction, denies committing war crimes in Gaza, and is challenging the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant. 

'Israel' argues that an ICC Appeals Chamber decision in April, which instructed the Pre-Trial Chamber to review 'Israel’s' objections to jurisdiction, nullifies the legal basis for the arrest warrants.

However, the judges dismissed that reasoning, stating Wednesday that the arrest warrants remain valid while 'Israel’s' jurisdictional challenge is still under review. There is currently no timeline for a ruling on the matter.

In June, the United States imposed unprecedented sanctions on four ICC judges in response to the warrant against Netanyahu. Two of the sanctioned judges were among those who ruled to reject 'Israel’s' request.