When will the International Criminal Court decide on the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Galant?

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court has called on a panel of pre-trial judges at the International Criminal Court to rule “expeditiously” on his request to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of the factions movement, saying the court has jurisdiction.

“It is statutory that the court has jurisdiction in this situation,” Attorney General Karim Khan wrote in a 49-page legal brief.

Khan’s brief came in response to legal arguments made by dozens of states, academics, victims’ groups and human rights groups that either rejected or supported the court’s authority to issue arrest warrants in its investigation into the Gaza war and the October 7 attacks.

In his request last May for arrest warrants, Khan accused Netanyahu, Galant and three other Hamas leaders of war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip and Israel.

Since then, Haniyeh has been killed, Israel claims Deif was killed, and Sinwar has been appointed the movement’s new leader.

Netanyahu called the attorney general’s charges against him a “disgrace” and an attack on the IDF and all of Israel. He vowed to press ahead with Israel’s war against Hamas. The militant group also denounced Khan’s actions, saying the arrest warrant for its leaders was “equal to the victim and the executioner.”

It should be noted that Israel is not a member of the ICC, so even if arrest warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Galant face no immediate risk of prosecution. However, the threat of arrest could make it difficult for Israeli leaders to travel abroad.

It is not yet clear when the judges will rule on Khan’s request for arrest warrants.

Source: Agencies