On Friday, Israel announced it had formally “challenged” the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan’s request to issue an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Israel’s Foreign Ministry spokesperson, Oren Marmorstein, posted on the platform “X” that “Israel has today officially challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction and the legitimacy of the prosecutor’s requests for arrest warrants against the Israeli Prime Minister and Defense Minister.”
In July, the ICC permitted over 60 governments and organizations to submit legal arguments regarding the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other officials involved in the Gaza conflict. Prosecutors at the ICC claim there are reasonable grounds to believe that Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar, military commander Mohammed Deif, and Hamas political chief Ismail Haniyeh bear criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Earlier this September, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the court expedite issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant, and Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar. Reports suggest Khan is frustrated by delays in the court’s response, especially after weeks of legal submissions from countries and organizations involved in the case. He is pushing for the warrants to be issued before Netanyahu’s scheduled speech at the United Nations General Assembly.
According to Israel’s public broadcaster, there is “significant concern” in Israel over the potential issuance of arrest warrants, particularly if the court perceives that Israel has not conducted clear, independent investigations into the charges raised. The court’s decision is expected in the coming weeks.
