ICC rejects Israeli bid to block Gaza war crimes investigation
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The International Criminal Court dismissed Israel's challenge to block the investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza, allowing the probe to proceed.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rebuffed Israel's attempt to prevent an investigation into its conduct during the conflict in Gaza. This decision represents a setback for Israel's efforts to halt the case.
The ICC's appeals chamber, in a ruling issued Monday, upheld a previous decision that allows the ICC prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes related to Israel's actions in Gaza following the October 7, 2023, attack on southern Israel led by Hamas.
This ruling permits the ICC to continue its investigation into the situation in Palestine. This investigation previously led to arrest warrants issued in November of last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, based on allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Israel does not recognize the ICC's jurisdiction and has consistently denied committing war crimes in Gaza.
The ICC had also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri, but withdrew it following credible reports confirming his death.
Israel's appeal centered on whether the ICC prosecutor needed to issue a new notification to Israel before investigating events after October 7, 2023. Israel argued that its post-October 7 operation in Gaza constituted a new situation, triggered by additional referrals from seven countries, including South Africa, Chile, and Mexico, since November 2023.
That said, the reality is a bit more complicated. the judges rejected this argument. They stated that the original notification, issued in 2021 when the ICC formally launched its investigation into alleged crimes in occupied Palestine, already covered subsequent events. Therefore, no new notification was necessary, and the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant remain in effect.
The ICC ruling comes as the conflict in Gaza continues to have devastating consequences. According to Gaza's Ministry of Health, since a ceasefire began on October 11, 2025, at least 391 Palestinians have died, 1,063 have been wounded, and 632 bodies have been recovered. The ministry also reports that, since October 7, 2023, at least 70,663 Palestinians have been killed and 171,139 have been injured.
