In The Hague, Israel has asked judges at a special court called the International Criminal Court (ICC) to remove the arrest orders against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The court gave these arrest orders because it believes they may have been involved in war crimes during the fighting in Gaza.
Israel has also asked the ICC to stop its investigation into these accusations, while the court looks into whether it has the right to handle cases about the Gaza war.
This request was made in documents released by the ICC on May 9, and they were signed by Israeli Deputy Attorney General Gilad Noam.
What Happened Before?
Earlier, in November 2023, the ICC gave arrest orders for three people: Benjamin Netanyahu, Yoav Gallant, and Ibrahim al-Masri, a leader from the group Hamas. These leaders were accused of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.
In February, the ICC said it had taken back the arrest order for Ibrahim al-Masri (also called Mohammed Deif) because there were reports saying he had died.
Israel doesn’t agree with the court’s power over its leaders and says the accusations are not true. It refuses to accept the ICC’s role in these matters, especially because it doesn’t believe the court has the right to make decisions about what happened in Gaza.
What’s Happening Now?
In April 2024, the ICC’s appeals chamber said that the judges who made the arrest orders must review Israel’s complaints about the court’s authority. The court needs to look at whether it can even handle these charges.
However, it’s still unclear when the judges will decide whether they’ll take back the arrest orders or stop the investigation. There is no exact deadline for the decision.
