ICC Denies Issuing New Arrest Warrants for Israeli Officials After Haaretz Report
The International Criminal Court denied on Sunday that it had issued new arrest warrants for Israeli political and military officials, pushing back against a report in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz claiming that The Hague had quietly approved warrants against five individuals. The Jerusalem Post
ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet said in a note to journalists that the Haaretz report was not accurate, and the court “denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine.” The Jerusalem Post
The Haaretz Report
The Haaretz report, citing a diplomatic source, stated that the International Criminal Court in The Hague had issued five new arrest warrants against Israeli individuals — three targeting politicians and two targeting military officials. The report did not name the individuals involved. The Times of Israel
It was unclear, according to Haaretz, when the warrants had been issued. The ICC has historically issued some arrest warrants in secret, making them public only at a later stage. The Times of Israel
The Israeli Foreign Affairs Ministry and the State Attorney’s Office did not immediately respond to requests for comment following the initial Haaretz report. The Times of Israel
Potential Targets Named by Israeli Officials
While the ICC denied that warrants had been issued, Israeli officials separately indicated that additional warrants could be sought against specific senior figures. The names cited in connection with potential new warrants included National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, Defense Minister Israel Katz, former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and current military chief Eyal Zamir. Ynetnews
Israeli officials said the official currently overseeing the ICC investigation is Deputy Prosecutor Abdoulaye Seye of Senegal, and that Deputy Prosecutor Nazhat Shameem Khan had decided to advance any new warrant request. Khan’s predecessor, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan, stepped aside in May 2025 amid an investigation into allegations of sexual misconduct, which he has denied. Ynetnews
Israeli officials also said that any new warrants, if approved, could be issued secretly — a mechanism the court uses when it does not want to alert suspects before an arrest can be made. Ynetnews
The Legal Picture
International law expert Professor Eliav Lieblich told Haaretz that the ICC does not require the court to notify suspects of arrest warrants. The Jerusalem Post
“The considerations for making the warrants public, as was done in the cases of Russian President Vladimir Putin, Netanyahu, and Gallant, are deterrence,” Lieblich said. “The considerations for secrecy are increasing the chances that the person will arrive somewhere where they can be arrested.” The Jerusalem Post
It was not clear, as of Sunday, whether a formal request for new warrants had been filed with the court. Ynetnews
Regional and Global Impact
The ICC’s denial came as the court continues to face intense political pressure from both Israel and the United States over its existing proceedings. In response to the warrants issued against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024, the United States imposed wide-ranging sanctions against ICC staff members, including six judges and then-Prosecutor Karim Khan. According to recent reporting, those sanctioned staffers have struggled to carry out their work due to unpredictable financial and travel restrictions. The Times of Israel
The ICC’s case against Israeli leaders has been described as one of the most politically charged proceedings in the court’s history. Israel and the United States are not members of the ICC, but the court holds that it has jurisdiction because the Palestinian territories are a party to the Rome Statute. ICC judges rejected Israeli challenges to the court’s jurisdiction when the Netanyahu and Gallant warrants were issued, and in July 2025, the court rejected Israel’s request to withdraw those warrants while broader jurisdictional challenges continued. Ynetnews
The potential addition of new suspects would extend legal risk to a wider circle of Israeli leadership. Unlike the public warrants issued for Netanyahu and Gallant, sealed warrants would not be announced, limiting the ability of targeted individuals to adjust their international travel to avoid ICC member states, all of which are legally obligated to arrest warrant subjects on their territory. Ynetnews
Background
On November 21, 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alleging responsibility for the war crime of using starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity, including murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, during the Gaza war. The warrant against Netanyahu was the first ever issued against the leader of a Western-backed democratic country for war crimes. Wikipedia
All 125 ICC member states, including France and the United Kingdom, are required to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if either enters their territory. Netanyahu skipped the World Economic Forum in Davos in January 2026, held in Rome Statute signatory Switzerland, to avoid the risk of arrest. Wikipedia
Prior to stepping aside in May 2025, Prosecutor Karim Khan was reportedly preparing draft arrest warrant applications for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich relating to their roles in supporting illegal settlements in the West Bank. His deputies have continued the investigation since his departure. Wikipedia
What Happens Next
It remains unclear whether the deputy prosecutors have formally submitted any new warrant applications to ICC judges. The court has not confirmed any proceedings beyond those already on the public record. Israeli officials said that if new warrants are approved, they are expected to remain sealed initially, consistent with the court’s practice in sensitive cases where publicising warrants could allow suspects to avoid arrest. The ICC’s investigation into the situation in the Palestinian territories, opened in March 2021, continues under the oversight of the deputy prosecutor’s office while Karim Khan remains on leave. YnetnewsYnetnews
