Report: Secret Arrest Warrants Said to Target Five Senior Israelis at The Hague

The International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an official denial today (Sunday) of reports in Israel claiming that additional arrest warrants had been issued against Israeli figures.

Earlier, the newspaper "Haaretz" reported, citing a diplomatic source, that secret arrest warrants had been issued in The Hague against five Israelis, including three politicians and two senior military officials. According to the report, the identities of those involved are not known at this stage, and the date the warrants were issued has also not been made public.

If the report is accurate, it would mark a significant expansion of the steps the court has taken so far against senior Israeli officials, following the publication in November 2024 of arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

The practical significance of arrest warrants issued by the International Criminal Court is far-reaching: the 125 countries that are party to the Rome Statute are, in principle, obligated to cooperate with the court’s decisions, which could require them to act to arrest suspects if they enter their territory. These countries include most of Europe, most of Central and South America, as well as countries such as Canada, Australia, and Japan.

According to the report, this would be an unprecedented move in relation to Israel. Until now, the arrest warrants published by the court over its years of activity have been aimed mainly at figures from countries such as Libya, Congo, Sudan, Mali, Georgia, and Russia, as well as members of terror organizations.

Also in the background is an earlier report by "The Wall Street Journal" from May of last year, according to which the then-chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, was considering the possibility of issuing arrest warrants against Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir as well. According to that report, their involvement was being examined in matters related to the promotion of settlement in Judea and Samaria and its implications under the Geneva Convention.

Since then, Khan has been temporarily suspended from his position following a complaint filed against him over the alleged assault of one of the court’s employees — allegations he denies.

At the same time, throughout the war, several Western countries — including Canada, Australia, Spain, and the Netherlands — announced measures against Smotrich and Ben Gvir. According to the reports, the Netherlands even acted to place the ministers in a database that would restrict their entry into countries that are signatories to the Schengen Agreement.