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Marrakech – The International Criminal Court (ICC) on Friday dismissed Israel’s attempt to appeal against arrest warrants issued for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over war crimes in Gaza.
In a decisive 13-page ruling, ICC judges declared that “the issue, as framed by Israel, is not an appealable issue” and therefore “rejects the request.” This latest development maintains the November 2024 warrants, which found “reasonable grounds” to believe both Israeli leaders bore “criminal responsibility” for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
The court’s original decision had sparked immediate outrage from Israeli and American officials. Netanyahu denounced it as an “antisemitic decision,” while then-US President Joe Biden labeled it “outrageous.” The United States later imposed sanctions on senior ICC officials in response.
Israel had petitioned the court in May to dismiss the warrants while a separate challenge over ICC jurisdiction was pending. The court rejected this on July 16, stating there was “no legal basis” for quashing the warrants during the jurisdiction review. Israel’s subsequent request to appeal that July ruling was the subject of Friday’s rejection.
The arrest warrants specifically accuse Netanyahu and Gallant of using starvation as a weapon of war against Palestinian civilians. The charges include preventing humanitarian aid from entering Gaza and the widespread targeting of civilian populations and infrastructure during military operations.
The ICC is still weighing Israel’s broader challenge regarding jurisdiction in the case. When the warrants were initially issued in November, the court simultaneously rejected an earlier Israeli objection to its authority.
However, in April, the ICC’s Appeals Chamber ruled the Pre-Trial Chamber had erred in dismissing Israel’s challenge and ordered a more detailed review of the arguments.
Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza, which began on October 7, 2023, has killed approximately 68,000 Palestinians, including 20,000 children, with more than 170,000 wounded.
Even after the recent ceasefire, the death toll continues to rise as more bodies are recovered from the rubble. Experts warn the true number of casualties could reach hundreds of thousands once those missing or buried beneath Gaza’s ruins are accounted for.
The ICC had also issued arrest warrants for three Hamas leaders for organizing the October 7 attack that triggered the Gaza war, but dropped these after they were killed by Israel.
The court’s rejection of Israel’s appeal bid represents another challenge for Netanyahu, who faces multiple crises following the Gaza ceasefire. These include growing international isolation, potential abandonment by far-right coalition partners, wavering support from US President Donald Trump, and ongoing corruption trials that could result in prison time.
Netanyahu faces mounting legal and political turmoil at home
Trump recently called on Israeli President Isaac Herzog to pardon Netanyahu for what he described as “cigars and champagne” – a reference to the corruption cases against the Israeli prime minister that include charges of bribery, fraud, and breach of trust, which could lead to a 10-year prison term.
Netanyahu also confronts mounting pressure for an official inquiry into his government’s catastrophic failures leading up to the October 7 events.
This crisis did not emerge from a vacuum but represents the culmination of more than 70 years of brutal occupation and systematic oppression of Palestinians.
Evidence suggests many Israeli captives were actually killed by the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) themselves through the implementation of the controversial “Hannibal Directive” – a policy that prioritizes preventing captive-taking even at the cost of Israeli lives.
Despite this damning reality, Israel’s High Court has ruled there is “no real argument” to delay such an investigation further, giving the government 30 days to respond.
