ICC Rejects Israel’s Request to Dismiss Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant
A Palestinian woman and her baby in Gaza, 2025. X/ @EmanAlhajAli1
July 17, 2025 Hour: 10:07 am
It also dismissed Israel’s petition to halt the investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine
On Wednesday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) rejected Israel’s request to cancel arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. It also dismissed Israel’s petition to halt the investigation into war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine.
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The decision by the Hague-based court reaffirms the ICC’s jurisdiction to investigate events in the occupied Palestinian territories, despite intense diplomatic and political pressure from Israel, the United States, and their allies.
“The proceedings will continue, and the defense motions have been rejected for lacking sufficient legal basis,” reads the ruling issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I of the ICC.
The ICC investigation is being led by Prosecutor Karim Khan, who in May 2025 formally requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant over crimes committed during Israel’s military offensive in Gaza, including the systematic use of starvation as a weapon of war and attacks against civilians.
Since the outset of the case, Israel has rejected the legitimacy of the ICC, stating it does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction and calling the arrest warrants a “judicial aberration.” The U.S. government has labeled the court’s actions “an unjustified attack against a key ally.”
U.S. President Donald Trump even threatened the court with “severe consequences” and warned of sanctions or visa bans targeting ICC judges and prosecutors, as well as any state cooperating with the execution of the warrants.
On Wednesday, the Palestinian Authority and representatives of the Gaza government welcomed the ICC’s decision as a step forward in the fight against impunity. “This is a victory for international law and for oppressed peoples,” said a spokesperson for the Palestinian Foreign Ministry in Ramallah.
Human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International also backed the court’s decision, stating that “no state or leader should be above the law.”
Context of the Conflict and Charges Against Netanyahu
The ICC’s investigation is rooted in the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, which has escalated dramatically since October 2023. According to figures from the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), Israel has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians since the beginning of the offensive in Gaza.
War crimes committed by Israeli occupation forces include direct attacks on civilians and non-military targets; the use of siege and starvation as methods of warfare by restricting access to water, food, and medicine; forced displacement of the civilian population; and the deliberate destruction of essential civilian infrastructure.
Netanyahu has sought to evade the ICC arrest warrants and war crimes charges. However, the court’s ruling signals its intent to proceed with the case and to determine the individual criminal responsibility of the accused.
Although neither Israel nor the United States are parties to the Rome Statute — the treaty that established the ICC — Palestine became a member state in 2015, granting the court jurisdiction over crimes committed in its territory.
The ICC’s 123 member states are legally obligated to arrest and hand over individuals subject to its warrants if they enter their territories. This means Netanyahu or Gallant could face arrest and extradition if they travel to countries such as Spain, France, Germany, Argentina, Brazil, or South Africa, among others.
Despite external pressure, the ICC has reaffirmed its judicial independence. In a recent statement, Prosecutor Khan said, “International justice cannot be held hostage by geopolitics.”
teleSUR/ JF
Sources: ICC – AP
