ICC Rejects Israeli Bid to Halt Gaza Probe — Arrest Warrants Maintained

The International Criminal Court (ICC) denied Israel's bid to halt the Gaza investigation and maintained arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The warrants, issued in November 2024, cite alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity including using starvation as a method of warfare, willful killing, and persecution. Netanyahu has been unable to travel to many Western countries since the warrants were issued; he skipped the 2026 Davos World Economic Forum to avoid arrest. The ICC prosecutor Karim Khan has proceeded despite US and Israeli objections. The warrants for Hamas military commanders Mohammed Deif (confirmed killed January 2025) were cancelled following his death.