Israeli officials believe the International Criminal Court is preparing an arrest warrant for Netanyahu

Israeli government officials believe that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is preparing a series of arrest warrants, which could reach members of the terrorist group Hamas and even Benjamin Netanyahu himself. This was reported by The New York Times after speaking with Israeli and foreign officials, who were granted anonymity.

"Israeli officials increasingly believe that the International Criminal Court is preparing to issue arrest warrants for senior government officials on charges related to the conflict with Hamas, according to five Israeli and foreign officials. (...) The Israeli and foreign officials also believe the court is weighing arrest warrants for leaders from Hamas," the NYT noted.

As for potential accusations from Israeli officials, they speculated on the alleged refusal to deliver humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and giving "an excessively harsh response to the Hamas-led attacks against Israel on October 7."

In turn, the officials interviewed did not know what stage the judicial process was in, which must first be approved by a panel of judges.

What is the International Criminal Court?

Distinct from the United Nations International Court of Justice, which judges countries, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of crimes against humanity, war, aggression and genocide. Its headquarters are located in The Hague (Netherlands).

The ICC is regulated by the Rome Statute (1998) and has jurisdiction over the convention's member states.

However, the court's statute does not have the signature or ratification of the United States, Israel, Russia, China, and India, among many others.