Israeli far-right minister Smotrich says ICC seeks his arrest

Smotrich is the third Israeli official targeted by the ICC, after Netanyahu and Gallant, for their war crimes in Gaza.

Israeli far-right Finance Minister ⁠Bezalel Smotrich said he was informed that the ⁠International Criminal ⁠Court (ICC) in ⁠The Hague ⁠had ⁠requested a warrant for his arrest.

Speaking at ⁠a news conference on Tuesday, Smotrich did not specify who had informed him about the warrant the previous evening. The process of seeking warrants ⁠is confidential.

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Smotrich called the arrest warrants against Israeli officials “a declaration ⁠of war”, adding: “And in the face of a declaration of war, we will fight back with a vengeance.”

He also attacked “the terrorist organisation mistakenly called the Palestinian Authority”, reflecting the Israeli government’s anger at what it sees as Palestinian ⁠backing for international legal action over Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

Announcing that he would go on the attack after the news of this arrest warrant, Smotrich said he “will sign an order to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar”, forcibly transferring the Palestinian community from this occupied West Bank village that has endured a years-long legal battle with Israeli authorities for its survival.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and his former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for “crimes against humanity and war crimes” committed during Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

Judges and prosecutors at the ICC have since been cut off by banks, credit card companies and tech giants like Amazon as a result of sanctions brought by the Trump administration.

The court also issued arrest warrants for several Hamas leaders who were subsequently killed in Israeli operations.

The ICC accusations reportedly centre on Smotrich’s forced displacement orders for Palestinians, his support for moving Israeli settlers into occupied territory, and his claim it may be “justified and moral” to starve Palestinians in Gaza. If approved, it would make Smotrich the third Israeli official targeted by the court, after Netanyahu and Gallant.

The United Kingdom and four other countries last year imposed sanctions on Smotrich and another far-right Israeli cabinet minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing them of repeatedly inciting violence against Palestinians in the ‌West Bank.

Smotrich has called for the permanent conquest of Gaza and the re-establishment of Jewish settlements there that Israel had abandoned in 2005, notions that ‌Netanyahu ‌has rejected.