Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court on Monday rejected Israel’s bid to halt an investigation into alleged war crimes in Gaza, a ruling that ensures the probe will continue and leaves arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant firmly in place.

The decision is the latest legal setback for Israel at The Hague and underscores the ICC’s determination to press forward despite Israel’s repeated challenges to the court’s authority. Judges declined to overturn a lower court ruling that allows prosecutors to examine events following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, massacre in southern Israel, in which roughly 1,200 people were killed and 251 taken hostage.

With the appeal denied, the ICC investigation remains active, and warrants issued last year against Netanyahu and Gallant continue to stand. Israel has categorically rejected the court’s jurisdiction, arguing that it is not a member of the ICC and that the tribunal lacks authority to investigate Israeli actions.

Israel’s Foreign Ministry called the ruling further proof of the court’s disregard for the sovereignty of non-member states. In a statement posted on X, the ministry accused the ICC of political bias and of singling out Israel while failing to meaningfully pursue accountability for Hamas.

The Hague-based court has drawn intense criticism in Israel for moral and legal imbalance. While the ICC initially issued a warrant for Hamas leader Ibrahim al-Masri over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, that warrant was later withdrawn following credible reports of his death. Critics argue the court has no viable path to bring senior Hamas leaders to justice, even as it advances cases against Israeli officials.

Israel maintains that its military campaign in Gaza has been a lawful act of self-defense aimed at dismantling Hamas in the wake of the October 7 attacks. It denies committing war crimes and says the ICC investigation ignores the realities of fighting a terror organization embedded within civilian infrastructure.

Monday’s decision addresses only one of several legal challenges Israel has filed in an effort to block the ICC’s involvement. There is no timeline for when judges will rule on the remaining challenges, including broader questions about the court’s jurisdiction and the validity of the arrest warrants.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)