Any warrants would not mean that Netanyahu will end up in jail.
Neither Israel nor the United States recognize the court’s jurisdiction, though any warrants would put Israeli officials at risk of arrest in other countries, including much of Europe.
“As we have publicly said many times, the ICC has no jurisdiction in this situation and we do not support its investigation,” a spokesperson for the National Security Council said.
They would also serve as a high-profile statement on Israel’s actions in Gaza, and an embarrassing development that would put Netanyahu alongside Russian President Vladimir Putin as a major leader to face such action from the ICC.
Netanyahu said Friday that Israel “will never accept any attempt by the ICC to undermine its inherent right of self-defense.”
“The threat to seize the soldiers and officials of the Middle East’s only democracy and the world’s only Jewish state is outrageous. We will not bow to it,” he said in a post on X.
In a sign of the country’s concern, its Foreign Ministry said late Sunday that it had informed Israeli missions of “rumors” that warrants might be issued against senior Israeli officials.
Such a move, Foreign Minister Israel Katz said, would “provide a morale boost” to Hamas and other militant groups.
The ICC — based in The Hague, the Netherlands — can charge individuals with war crimes and other related charges. It is separate from the International Court of Justice, which considers cases between states and is currently investigating whether Israel has committed acts of genocide in Gaza.
