ICC rejects Israel's appeal that sought to invalidate Netanyahu arrest warrant

The appeals chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday ruled against Israel's arguments that the investigation into crimes in Gaza after 7 October 2023 was invalid.

The decision is a significant development in the Palestine investigation, which led to arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant in November last year.

Israel has filed numerous appeals to try to invalidate the warrants, including an attempt to disqualify the court's chief prosecutor Karim Khan for alleged lack of impartiality and a challenge to the court's jurisdiction in Palestine.  

The ICC’s investigation into war crimes committed in occupied Palestine was initiated in 2021, based on a referral by the state of Palestine in 2018.

But since November 2023, seven other referrals have been filed by South Africa, Bangladesh, Comoros, Bolivia, Djibouti, Chile and Mexico. 

Read more: ICC rejects Israel's appeal that sought to invalidate Netanyahu arrest warrant