ICC Reviews Israel's Jurisdiction Challenge over Arrest Warrants

The International Criminal Court's (ICC) appeals judges have ordered a lower panel to reconsider Israel's objections to the court's jurisdiction over arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, related to alleged war crimes in Gaza. The appeals chamber found that the initial court had not properly addressed Israel's legal challenges and declared its earlier dismissal as an 'error of law.' While this procedural ruling sends the matter back for further review, the arrest warrants themselves remain active. Israeli officials, including an aide to Netanyahu and Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar, strongly condemned the ICC’s decision to keep the warrants in place, arguing that the court lacks authority since Israel is not a member of the ICC. Both Israeli and Palestinian representatives have dismissed allegations of war crimes and criticized the ICC prosecutor's actions. The ICC Prosecutor's office is currently reviewing the appeals chamber's ruling without providing further comment.