ICC Prosecutor Seeks Arrest Warrant for Israeli Finance Minister

The prosecutor’s office at the International Criminal Court in The Hague reportedly submitted a secret request last month for an arrest warrant against Israel’s finance minister, according to Middle East Eye. The request reportedly concerns suspicions of war crimes and crimes against humanity allegedly committed against Palestinians in the West Bank.

The charges reportedly include forcible transfer of population, transfer of Israeli population to an occupied territory, persecution, and apartheid.

A source from the ICC prosecutor’s office did not deny to Middle East Eye that a request exists, but said that under the court’s new procedures, requests for arrest warrants are classified as confidential. The source added that the prosecutor’s office cannot respond to questions regarding alleged requests for arrest warrants.

Court spokeswoman Oriane Meyer told Reuters on Sunday that the court denies that new arrest warrants have been issued in the Palestinian case. The request was reportedly submitted on April 2 but has not yet been approved by ICC judges, and a decision could take months.

Last week, an additional hearing examined the possibility of filing requests for arrest warrants against Israel’s national security minister and other senior officials. However, no formal requests have been submitted in those cases so far.

Since arrest warrants were issued against Israel’s prime minister and former defense minister in November 2024, Israel and the United States have reportedly exerted heavy pressure on the court, including U.S. sanctions targeting the chief prosecutor, his deputies, and judges involved in the case.

The UK, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and Norway have previously imposed personal sanctions on the finance minister and national security minister. In the European Union, additional sanctions were considered but blocked due to opposition from several countries, including Germany, Italy, and Hungary.