Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich Admits Being Targeted by International Criminal Court
Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, a right-wing figure, has claimed to have received information that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague has filed a request for an arrest warrant against him. During a press conference on Tuesday local time, Smotrich did not specify who informed him of the warrant application the previous night, noting that the ICC’s application process remains confidential.
Smotrich described the arrest warrant against Israeli officials as a ‘declaration of war’, stating, ‘And facing a declaration of war, we will fight with retaliation,’ according to Al Jazeera. He also attacked the Palestinian Authority, labelling it a ‘terrorist organisation wrongly called the Palestinian Authority’. His remarks reflect the Israeli government’s anger regarding Palestinian support for international legal actions concerning Israel’s military operations in Gaza.
In response to the news of the potential arrest warrant, Smotrich stated he would take offensive measures by signing an evacuation order for Khan al-Ahmar. This move implies the forced displacement of the Palestinian community from the village in the occupied West Bank, which has faced years of legal battles with Israeli authorities to maintain its existence.
In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged ‘crimes against humanity and war crimes’ during Israel’s aggression in Gaza. Since then, ICC judges and prosecutors have reportedly faced service restrictions from various banks, credit card companies, and technology firms such as Amazon, due to sanctions imposed by the administration of US President Donald Trump. The ICC also issued arrest warrants for several Hamas leaders who were subsequently killed during Israeli military operations.
The ICC’s allegations against Smotrich reportedly focus on policies regarding the forced displacement of Palestinians, his support for the expansion of Israeli Jewish settlements in the occupied territories, and his statements suggesting that the starvation of Palestinians in Gaza could be considered ‘justified and moral’. If approved, Smotrich would become the third Israeli official targeted by the ICC, following Netanyahu and Gallant.
Last year, the United Kingdom, along with four other nations, imposed sanctions on Smotrich and far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, over allegations of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the West Bank. Smotrich has also called for the permanent occupation of Gaza and the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the area that Israel abandoned in 2005, a proposal that has been rejected by Netanyahu.