The International Criminal Court has rejected reports claiming it issued new arrest warrants against Israeli political and military officials over the situation in Palestine.
The denial came after Israeli newspaper Haaretz reported that the court in The Hague had quietly sought arrest warrants against several Israeli leaders, including three politicians and two military officials.
ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet dismissed the report, calling it inaccurate. In a statement to journalists, she said the court “denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine.”
So far, the only publicly known ICC arrest warrants involving senior Israeli officials were issued in November 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
International law expert Prof. Eliav Lieblich told Haaretz that the ICC is not legally required to publicly reveal arrest warrants immediately.
According to Lieblich, keeping warrants secret can improve the chances of suspects traveling to countries where they could potentially be arrested. He noted that public announcements are usually made when the court wants to send a deterrent message, similar to the cases involving Russian President Vladimir Putin, Netanyahu and Gallant.
Meanwhile, lawyers representing a Palestinian man from Gaza recently submitted a formal request to the ICC prosecutor seeking investigations into 14 Hamas leaders for alleged crimes against Palestinian civilians.
The ICC has previously accused both Israeli and Hamas leaders of crimes linked to the Israel-Hamas conflict. However, critics note that no Hamas official has yet been formally charged for crimes committed against Palestinians in Gaza.
