Judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday rejected a further appeal by Israel seeking to stop the court’s investigation into its conduct during the war in Gaza, allowing the probe to continue.
In its ruling, the ICC Appeals Chamber declined to overturn a lower court decision confirming that the prosecutor’s investigation into alleged crimes within the court’s jurisdiction may include events following Hamas’s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The decision means the investigation remains active and that arrest warrants issued last year against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant remain in force.
Israel rejects the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies committing war crimes in Gaza, where it has carried out a military campaign it says is aimed at dismantling Hamas following the October 7 attacks.
The ICC initially issued an arrest warrant for Hamas leader Mohammed Diab Ibrahim al-Masri, known as Mohammed Deif, on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity. That warrant was later withdrawn after credible reports indicated he had died.
A ceasefire agreement in the conflict came into effect on October 10, but the war has left large parts of Gaza’s infrastructure destroyed and living conditions severely degraded across the territory.
Gaza health officials say about 67,000 Palestinians have been killed during the conflict, figures frequently cited by the United Nations. The latest ruling addresses only one of several legal challenges Israel has filed in an effort to block the ICC investigation and the arrest warrants against its officials.
The court has not set a timeline for ruling on Israel’s remaining appeals challenging its jurisdiction in the case.
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