Israeli Finance Minister Reports Secret ICC Arrest Warrant Request
Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has stated that he was informed the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has requested a "secret" arrest warrant against him. He did not specify the allegations involved but characterized the action as "a declaration of war," attributing responsibility to the Palestinian Authority.
The ICC's process for seeking arrest warrants is confidential and requires approval from ICC judges. The court declined to comment on this specific case but recently denied issuing warrants for five Israeli officials.
In response, Smotrich, who holds significant authority over Israeli policies in the occupied West Bank, ordered the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, a notable Palestinian Bedouin village.
A Palestinian Authority official condemned the demolition order as "a dangerous escalation."
In 2018, Israel's Supreme Court upheld an eviction order for Khan al-Ahmar, but enforcement has been delayed following warnings from the United Nations, the ICC, and other international bodies that such action would violate international law.
Smotrich's Reaction and Statements
At a news conference on Tuesday, Smotrich said,
"Last night, it was reported to me that a request for a secret international arrest warrant was filed against me by the criminal prosecutor of the antisemitic court in The Hague."
He added,
"As a sovereign and independent state, we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies that consistently stand against the State of Israel."
Smotrich pledged to "fight back with a vengeance" and issued a warning to the Palestinian Authority, which administers parts of the West Bank not under Israeli control, stating,
"[The Palestinian Authority] has started a war and it will get a war."
He further announced,
"Immediately upon the conclusion of my remarks here, we will sign an order to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar."
ICC's Position and Palestinian Authority's Response
The ICC's Office of the Prosecutor stated it was "unable to comment on questions related to any alleged application for a warrant of arrest," noting that such applications are "classified as secret or under seal, unless otherwise authorised by ICC judges."
Muayyad Shaaban, a Palestinian Authority Minister and head of the Wall and Settlement Resistance Commission, described the evacuation order for Khan al-Ahmar as "a dangerous escalation in the policy of forcible displacement pursued by the Israeli occupation government against the Palestinian people."
He warned that the order is part of a long-term plan east of Jerusalem, through which Israel aims to establish "full territorial contiguity between settlements in a way that separates the northern West Bank from its southern part, effectively destroying any possibility of a geographically contiguous and viable Palestinian state."
Context of Israeli Settlements and International Law
Since occupying the West Bank and East Jerusalem during the 1967 Middle East war, Israel has constructed approximately 160 settlements housing around 700,000 Jewish residents. Palestinians, numbering an estimated 3.3 million, live alongside these settlements. The settlements are considered illegal under international law.
International Sanctions and ICC Arrest Warrant Developments
In June of the previous year, the United Kingdom and four other Western countries imposed sanctions on Smotrich, who resides in a settlement, along with another far-right Israeli minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. The sanctions were based on allegations of "repeated incitements of violence against Palestinian communities" in the West Bank. The Israeli government condemned these measures as "outrageous."
On Sunday, Israel's Haaretz newspaper cited sources claiming that the ICC prosecutor had requested new arrest warrants for five Israeli political and military officials, including Smotrich, for alleged crimes against Palestinians. However, a spokesperson for the ICC denied the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation concerning the State of Palestine.
In November 2024, ICC judges issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, citing "reasonable grounds" to believe they bore criminal responsibility for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict in Gaza. Both the Israeli government and the individuals named rejected these accusations.
Additionally, in May 2024, the ICC prosecutor applied for arrest warrants for three leaders of the Palestinian armed group Hamas—Gaza leader Yahya Sinwar, military chief Mohammed Deif, and political leader Ismail Haniyeh—on similar charges. Sinwar and Haniyeh were killed by Israeli forces before any warrants were issued, and the warrant for Deif was cancelled in February 2025 after Hamas confirmed his death.
ICC Jurisdiction and Israel's Position
The ICC has jurisdiction to prosecute individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes within the territories of states party to the Rome Statute, its founding treaty. Israel is not a member of the ICC and rejects its jurisdiction. However, in 2021, the court ruled it had jurisdiction over the occupied West Bank, East Jerusalem, and Gaza, based on the United Nations Secretary-General's acceptance of Palestinian membership.
