The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected Israel’s request to suspend its investigation into alleged crimes committed during the Gaza war, according to a report by Reuters. On Monday, the ICC’s Appeals Chamber upheld an earlier ruling by a lower court, dismissing Israel’s latest legal challenge.
The judges ruled that the court has jurisdiction to investigate alleged crimes linked to events following the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel by the Palestinian armed group Hamas. As a result, the probe into alleged war crimes committed during the Gaza conflict will continue.
The ruling also means that arrest warrants issued last year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant remain in force.
Israel does not recognize the authority of the Hague-based court and has consistently denied allegations of war crimes. Israeli officials maintain that the military operation in Gaza was launched with the aim of eliminating Hamas following the October 7 attack.
Previously, the ICC had also issued an arrest warrant against Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. However, the warrant was later withdrawn after credible information emerged indicating his death.
Although a ceasefire in the Gaza conflict came into effect on October 10, the territory had already suffered extensive destruction by that time. Living conditions in Gaza remain dire. According to Gaza health officials—figures regularly cited by the United Nations—nearly 67,000 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks so far.
The ICC clarified that this ruling addresses only one of several legal challenges filed by Israel. No timeline has yet been announced for decisions on other challenges related to the court’s jurisdiction and the arrest warrants against Israeli officials.
