The International Criminal Court (ICC) formally denied reports circulating in Israeli media on Sunday claiming that the Hague-based tribunal had issued a fresh batch of secret arrest warrants targeting senior Israeli political and military leaders.
The denial followed a report by Haaretz, which alleged that the ICC's top prosecutor had filed a sealed request targeting an unspecified number of Israeli officials. According to diplomatic sources quoted in the report, the targeted individuals supposedly included three prominent politicians and two high-ranking military figures.
However, the global court moved quickly to quash the rumors. ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet issued an explicit clarification to journalists, stating firmly that the newspaper's reporting was fundamentally inaccurate.
The court "denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine," Maillet stated in a note to journalists quoted by Reuters.
In November 2024, the ICC drew widespread international condemnation when it issued highly controversial arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, baselessly alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity during Israel's defensive operations against the Hamas terror apparatus in Gaza.
Subsequent leaks revealed that highly biased prosecutors had also actively weighed pursuing criminal cases against Israel's right-wing ministers. In May 2025, The Wall Street Journal reported that the court intended to target Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir.
The ongoing focus on the ICC's prosecutorial overreach coincides with deep internal turmoil within the tribunal itself. Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, who spearheaded the original, aggressive legal campaign against the Jewish State, remains sidelined from his official duties.
Khan was hit with a temporary suspension from his powerful post following a severe internal whistleblower complaint. The investigation, handed over to independent watchdogs, alleges that Khan sexually assaulted a female employee within the court's administration.