Israel’s ICC objections must be reviewed, judges say
Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) instructed a lower panel to re-examine Israel’s objections to the court’s jurisdiction for arrest warrants targeting Israel, Reuters reported on April 24th.
This comes after the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli leaders in 2024. The Pre-Trial Chamber had ruled to dismiss Israel’s legal challenges as premature.
It said: “The Appeals Chamber therefore reversed the decision and remanded the matter to the Pre-Trial Chamber for a new ruling on the substance of Israel’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Court.”
The case concerns arrest warrants sought against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over their roles in the Gaza war. The Pre-Trial Chamber said Israel’s view that it had the right to challenge the court’s jurisdiction was “not sufficiently addressed.”
The office of the ICC Prosecutor said it was looking into the ruling, with no additional comment.
Both Israeli and Palestinian leaders have denied committing war crimes. Representatives of both have condemned ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s move to pursue arrest warrants for purported war crimes and crimes against humanity.
Middle East Eye reported on April 3rd that Hungary decided to withdraw from the ICC, a move that Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Saar commended.
The International Criminal Court demanded an answer from Hungary as to why it did not arrest Netanyahu when his visited the country, This is the third investigation in 2025 by the court into its member countries for not arresting suspects, Middle East Eye reported on April 16th.
“We signed an international treaty, but we never took all the steps that would otherwise have made it enforceable in Hungary,” Orbán said. His statement was in reference to the fact that Hungary’s parliament had not enacted the court’s statute into the country’s law.
Viktor Orban, the Hungarian Prime Minister, is a right-wing nationalist and an ally of Israel’s government. In February, Orban said Hungary should review its relations with the court.
Reuters, Middle East Eye
