Israeli far-right minister Smotrich claims ICC seeks his arrest

International Criminal Court Issues Arrest Warrant for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich

The International Criminal Court (ICC) has requested a warrant for the arrest of Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich. Smotrich confirmed this at a news conference on Tuesday, stating that he had been informed of the request by an unspecified party.

Smotrich did not provide details about who had informed him about the warrant, as the process of seeking warrants is confidential. The ICC has previously issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant, who were accused of crimes against humanity and war crimes committed during Israel’s military actions in Gaza.

The ICC has also issued arrest warrants for several Hamas leaders, who were subsequently killed in Israeli operations. The court’s accusations reportedly centre on Smotrich’s forced displacement orders for Palestinians, his support for moving Israeli settlers into occupied territory, and his claim that starving Palestinians in Gaza may be justified and moral.

Smotrich has called the ICC’s actions a “declaration of war”, stating that Israel will respond with force. He also announced plans to evacuate the Palestinian community from Khan al-Ahmar village in the West Bank, which has been embroiled in a years-long legal battle with Israeli authorities.

The United Kingdom and four other countries have imposed sanctions on Smotrich and another far-right Israeli cabinet minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, accusing them of inciting violence against Palestinians. The ICC’s decision to issue an arrest warrant for Smotrich would make him the third Israeli official targeted by the court.

Source: Al Jazeera