Bezalel Smotrich Says ICC Prosecutor Requested Secret Arrest Warrant, Orders Khan Al-Ahmar Demolition

Far-right Israeli finance minister Bezalel Smotrich said he was told the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has requested a "secret" arrest warrant for him, and he described the move as "a declaration of war".

Smotrich said the ICC request was linked to his role in policies relating to Palestinians in the West Bank, and the BBC reported that the process of seeking warrants is confidential and must be approved by ICC judges.

Al Jazeera

The BBC also reported that Smotrich responded by ordering the demolition of Khan al-Ahmar, a prominent Palestinian Bedouin village, while the ICC declined to comment on questions related to any alleged application for a warrant of arrest.

In parallel, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported that the ICC denied initial reports and had not commented since, as Smotrich insisted he would not be intimidated by such a move.

The dispute is set against the ICC’s earlier arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity during the war in Gaza, which Israel and the men rejected.

Smotrich told a news conference that "Last night, it was reported to me that a request for a secret international arrest warrant was filed against me" and he added that "we will not accept hypocritical dictates from biased bodies".

The BBC reported that a Palestinian Authority official denounced the evacuation order for Khan al-Ahmar as "a dangerous escalation" and said it came within a long-term project east of Jerusalem.

Al Jazeera

The Guardian reported that Smotrich promised to retaliate by waging a "war" on the Palestinian Authority, and it quoted him saying, "The Palestinian Authority has started a war, and it will get a war."

In the Guardian’s account, the ICC prosecutor’s office declined to comment citing the confidentiality of the process, while Smotrich said he had been told the prosecutor "submitted a secret request for an international arrest warrant against me".

The Guardian also reported that a senior Palestinian official, Wasel abu Youssef, called the forced evacuation of Khan al-Ahmar "very dangerous" and urged a firm international response.

The BBC reported that the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor said it was "unable to comment on questions related to any alleged application for a warrant of arrest" because applications are "classified as secret or under seal" unless authorised by ICC judges.

“In short: Reports have been circulating that the ICC is preparing to issue warrants against Israel's far-right finance minister, Bezalel Smotrich, and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir”

Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The Guardian said the ICC has previously said its prosecutor is independent and impartial when selecting situations to investigate, and it described how prosecutors submit applications to judges that are kept sealed under new court rules.

The Guardian also framed the stakes as potential further retaliation against the court by the US, noting that a request for another ICC arrest warrant against a sitting Israeli official, if accurate, could trigger additional retaliation.

Separately, Middle East Eye reported that its sources said the ICC prosecutor’s office filed a secret arrest warrant application for Smotrich on 2 April, with charges including forced displacement as a crime against humanity and war crime, and persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity.

Middle East Eye added that if judges issue Smotrich’s arrest warrant it would make him the third Israeli official wanted by the court after arrest warrants were issued in November 2024 for Benjamin Netanyahu and Yoav Gallant.