ICC prosecutor says Netanyahu arrest warrant should remain as Israel jurisdiction challenge is heard

THE HAGUE – International Criminal Court prosecutors person urged judges to cull a petition by Israel to scrap arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his erstwhile defence curate portion the tribunal reconsiders its jurisdiction implicit Gaza and the West Bank.

In a 10-page written submission posted connected the ICC website precocious Wednesday, prosecutors reason determination is “no ground to retreat oregon vacate” the pending warrants for Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.

The warrants were issued successful November, erstwhile judges recovered determination was “reason to believe” Netanyahu and Gallant utilized “starvation arsenic a method of warfare” by restricting humanitarian assistance and intentionally targeted civilians successful Israel’s run against Hamas successful Gaza. Israeli officials powerfully contradict the accusations.

The prosecution papers was signed connected behalf of authoritative Karim Khan, who temporarily stepped down connected Friday pending the result of an probe into allegations of intersexual misconduct.

The filing argues it is important for the underlying probe to proceed successful the “current concern wherever crimes are ongoing and escalating.”

Last month, appeals judges ordered a pretrial sheet to reconsider an Israeli situation to the court’s jurisdiction.

Israel argued successful its exertion for the warrants to beryllium withdrawn that the tribunal “doesn’t have, and ne'er had” jurisdiction to contented warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant.

Israel is not a subordinate of the tribunal and contends the ICC has nary authorization to prosecute Israeli nations. The Hague-based institution, however, has accepted “The State of Palestine” arsenic 1 of its 126 subordinate nations.

ICC main authoritative Khan is presently connected permission until the decision of an outer probe into accusations that helium tried for much than a twelvemonth to coerce a pistillate adjutant into a intersexual narration and groped her against her will.

An investigation by The Associated Press past twelvemonth recovered that 2 tribunal employees, successful whom the alleged unfortunate confided, reported the alleged misconduct successful May 2024 to the court’s autarkic watchdog.

Along with the warrants for the Israeli officials, the tribunal besides issued a warrant for Mohammed Deif, caput of Hamas’ equipped wing, implicit the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks that triggered Israel’s violative successful Gaza. The warrant was withdrawn successful February, aft his decease successful an Israeli airstrike was confirmed.

Copyright 2025 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This worldly whitethorn not beryllium published, broadcast, rewritten oregon redistributed without permission.