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ICC issues secret arrest warrants for five additional senior Israeli officials: Report

The Hague-based court previously issued warrants for the arrest of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former War Minister Yoav Gallant

News Desk

MAY 17, 2026



The International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued secret arrest warrants for three Israeli politicians and two military officials, Haaretz reported on 17 May, citing diplomatic sources.


The timing of their issuance is unknown. The ICC has often issued arrest warrants in secret, publicly announcing them only later to enable a possible arrest of the suspect.

Israel’s Foreign Affairs Ministry and State Attorney’s Office do not respond immediately to requests for comment.

The Hague-based court issued arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former War Minister Yoav Gallant in November 2024.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan requested that ICC judges issue the arrest warrants in May 2024, alleging that Netanyahu and Gallant were responsible for war crimes committed by the Israeli military in Gaza.


Netanyahu and Gallant bear criminal responsibility for the war crime of starvation as a method of warfare and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts, according to the ICC prosecutor.

In response to the issuance of the arrest warrants, the US and Israel carried out a campaign to pressure the ICC to prevent and cancel the arrest warrants issued against the Israeli leaders, Le Monde reported in August 2025.

The campaign, which targeted the ICC chief prosecutor Khan, began in March 2024 after he announced his intention to seek the indictment of Netanyahu and Gallant.

In response, the Israeli prime minister launched a campaign to use “all means” to stop the prosecutor with the help of his allies in London, Washington, and Berlin.

ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan completely destroys Benjamin Netanyahu on live TV.

He exposes the Israeli Prime Minister for blatantly lying about the timeline of warrants.

The Zionist regime is fabricating narratives to hide their horrific war crimes in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/ffL65V37ao

— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) May 6, 2026

At the end of April 2024, a staff member at the ICC accused Khan of sexual assault.


A source speaking to Le Monde said the allegations were part of an effort to “get rid of the prosecutor” and “hijack the process” of arrest warrants.

In October 2024, while the judges were still determining whether to issue the arrest warrants, a mysterious account named “ICC Leaks” appeared on the social network site X.

The account publicized the allegations of sexual assault made against Karim Khan internally at the ICC the previous May.

The ICC finally issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on 21 November 2024.


In February 2025, Chief Prosecutor Khan was placed under sanctions by the US.

Netanyahu applauded the move, calling the court “anti-Semitic and corrupt.”

Khan continued to work on two other indictments against Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Israeli Minister of Finance Bezalel Smotrich.

However, Khan has been on temporary leave since 16 May 2025, pending the outcome of the investigation into the sexual misconduct allegations, which he strenuously denies.


During its genocide in Gaza, Israel has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, the majority women and children, while destroying most of the strip.

Jewish settlers insist they will colonize Gaza, as they are colonizing the occupied West Bank.

“We are here on the way to new Jewish communities in Gaza,” settler leader Daniella Weiss stated in an interview at the border of the strip in late April.

“The 2 million or whatever number of Arabs, Gazans, who live here will not live in Gaza,” Weiss added. “It can take a week, it can take maybe a few months. They will not live here.”

Prominent journalist Mehdi Hasan reveals terrifying mafia tactics.

He confirms Donald Trump and Mossad aggressively threatened the ICC Prosecutor's family just to protect Benjamin Netanyahu.

The Washington establishment uses pure terrorism to hide Zionist war crimes. pic.twitter.com/QrhXQN7yjj

— Furkan Gözükara (@FurkanGozukara) May 6, 2026

https://thecradle.co/articles/icc-issues-secret-arrest-warrants-for-five-additional-senior-israeli-officials-report

HAARETZ report

ICC prosecutor seeks warrants for Ben-Gvir, Smotrich, other Israeli officials

The International Criminal Court's top prosecutor has requested sealed arrest warrants issued for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a source told Haaretz. A diplomatic source said three more warrants would target Minister Orit Strock and two IDF officials.

The development adds to previously known warrants issued in November 2024 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and follows earlier reporting that prosecutors had considered pursuing cases involving ministers Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

Eliav Lieblich, professor of public international law at Tel Aviv University, said that the Rome Statute (the international treaty that established the ICC) does not require the court to notify suspects of the arrest warrant.

https://www.haaretz.com/israel-news/israel-security/2026-05-17/ty-article/.premium/icc-prosecutor-asks-for-arrest-warrants-for-israeli-officials-source-says/0000019e-352a-d99f-ab9f-75ab00c20000

The International Criminal Court's top prosecutor has requested sealed arrest warrants issued for Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, a source told Haaretz. A diplomatic source said three more warrants would target Minister Orit Strock and two IDF officials.

More arrests and prosecution for commiting genocide still coming. Even Trump will not be spared las las.

Somehow it is what's happening in faraway Israel that bothers us...

Arrest warrant on soldiers backed by the US? Dey play!! 😂😂

Southeasterners won't like this....

Toothless ICC only effective in African countries. African leaders also need to start ignoring them jare make the thubg fold.

PheelzAlmighty:
Somehow it is what's happening in faraway Israel that bothers us...

Just as the news of Mali's government overthrow sponsored by Britain and France bothered NL frontpage.

Keep deceiving yourselves. Audio arrest warrant.

2mch:
Toothless ICC only effective in African countries. African leaders also need to start ignoring them jare make the thubg fold.

Actually, it's US of A that's the power drunk entity covering a genocidal regime.

Those ones are untouchable.
When you don't know who pass you.
USA and Israel don big pass icc

Good move from the ICC, how can few people be such an insane terror to the world and they are still spewing murderous and dangerous rhetorics til now, they should understand that they will be held accountable for murdering 70k plus Palestinians women and children in cold blood in the guise of taking out Hamas, the Austrian painter probably knew something about them that's just playing out in our very eyes🤔🤔

Secret arrest yet me wey dey Africa don hear.

Very secretive if you ask us for here... 😁

Israel is a terrorist country.. Iran is the only country that knows how to deal with those devils

D they think Israel is Africa where they arrest dumb leaders anyhow? If they're looking for terrorists to issue arrests on, they should start with ISIS anmd the new Ayatollah, then add PDP and APC.

Israel was on her own living her life in peace, then Hamas invaded them on October 7 and killed over a thousand five hundred of them......we are yet to see a single arrest warrant or condemnation for that crime against humanity from the Eye Sisi.

I trust Bibi to use that nonsense warrant from icc as a table cleaning rag in his office after which it should be thrown in the bin where it rightfully belongs.

Terrorist sympathizers have taken over ICC

ICC is a terrorist sympathiser and a terrorist organisation.


They always turn blind eyes to the atrocities committed by other terrorist because they sympathise with them.

This man just said last week that there were no war crimes in Gaza, and for there to be one, you need evidence; so far, no concrete evidence exists.

I smell lies in this publication.

https://x.com/EYakoby/status/2055044155005423866?s=20

So, who will effect these arrests?

PheelzAlmighty:
Somehow it is what's happening in faraway Israel that bothers us...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g6zjeygwayo?si=0NfPAm_R7VhOHw9l

You are absolutely ignorant. Smh.
Recieve education from the Singaporean President.

ThiefnubuBandit:
Keep deceiving yourselves. Audio arrest warrant.

The news is an Islamic fabrication. ICC prosecutor said last week, there's no evidence of war crime yet.

BREAKING: Mehdi Hasan attempts to coerce the International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan to say that there is evidence of genocide in Gaza.

Even Karim Khan says that there is no evidence. pic.twitter.com/mxT0wThcqD

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) May 7, 2026

PheelzAlmighty:
Somehow it is what's happening in faraway Israel that bothers us...

And is there a problem with that?

Is your brain so limited in thinking that you can't be bothered about various things at the same time?

malakaimoscondo:
Southeasterners won't like this....

How does your comment relate to the post? There's a reason God gave you a brain, use it well. Animals too have brains.

Ishilove:
So, who will effect these arrests?

No evidence of war crime yet.

BREAKING: Mehdi Hasan attempts to coerce the International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan to say that there is evidence of genocide in Gaza.

Even Karim Khan says that there is no evidence. pic.twitter.com/mxT0wThcqD

— Eyal Yakoby (@EYakoby) May 7, 2026

ICC and UN are too useless entities in the world. They only know how to intimidate Africa and Asian countries. They've arrested former Philippines president for war crimes, but they're finding it difficult to arrest netanyahu. Who born them. The day icc tries to arrest netayahu is the day their headquarters will get bombed by israel

NETANYAHU SHOULD PROSECUTE THOSE INDISCIPLINED ICC PROSECUTORS.

Like ICC like ECOWAS 😂😂😂

They just wake up, yarn dust to appeal to their invaders

Story for the gods... Go and arrest them... Cowards Putin is busy clearing Ukraine when are you arresting him. Clueless ediots

This useless scamming organization.
Jokers. How many terrorists have you declared warrant on?

Buhari did his own, Buhari and Co commited genocide against the Igbos but these fools couldn't say nor do anything

I need to slap that iresponsible urchin at ICC.

Let them also issue arrest warrants for all those xenophobic fellows in South Africa.....funny those hypocrites south Africans fighting for Palestinians are at same time killing their Africans brothers and sisters

when dem go arrest Trump for killing iranian school children?

what of white south africans for apartheid ?

Satazaa:
Good move from the ICC, how can few people be such an insane terror to the world and they are still spewing murderous and dangerous rhetorics til now, they should understand that they will be held accountable for murdering 70k plus Palestinians women and children in cold blood in the guise of taking out Hamas, the Austrian painter probably knew something about them that's just playing out in our very eyes🤔🤔

Say the same thing about Iran that killed 500k in Syria using President Assad
Iran also killed 150k in Yemen using Houthis
Iran regime also killed over 40k of Iranian citizens......
ICC or whatever has not issued any warrants so far against them
And your hypocrite Ramaphosa of South Africa turn blind eyes to all above atrocities since he benefits from Iran evil