Prosecutors at the International Criminal Court have submitted a request for an international arrest warrant against Israeli Finance Minister Betzalel Smotrich, according to a report by the pro-Qatari UK-based Middle East Eye outlet.
Sources familiar with the matter told Ynet that the report is credible and that the request has already been filed. According to the sources, the outlet is viewed as having close ties to the prosecutor’s office in The Hague and to Qatar.
Previous reports that the arrest warrant against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu was issued at the behest of Qatar seem to confirm the veracity of Qatar’s ties to the ICC.
The allegations against Smotrich include forced displacement as a crime against humanity, unlawful population transfer as a war crime, and persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity.
If approved, the warrant would reportedly mark the first time an international tribunal has issued an arrest warrant against a senior official on apartheid-related charges.
According to the report, the Palestinian mission to the Hague submitted material to ICC prosecutors alleging war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israeli settlers and security forces, while also arguing that Israel has failed to prosecute those allegedly responsible.
“The urgency to take action now cannot be overstated in any way, with the erasure and the destruction of the Palestinian people, as manifested by an illegal occupant, materializing by the day,” the Palestinian mission members wrote.
The report also stated that discussions are underway regarding possible warrants against other Israeli officials, including National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, and IDF Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir, although no decisions have yet been made in those cases.
Israeli media reports on Sunday said that the ICC is seeking arrest warrants for five senior Israeli officials. The Hague issued an official response claiming that the report was “inaccurate.”
The Israeli Foreign Ministry has informed Ben-Gvir that a request was submitted for an arrest warrant against him.
Ben-Gvir responded to the report by saying, “I’m not afraid, and I will not be deterred. No warrant from The Hague will stop me from continuing to lead a tough policy against terrorists, terror organizations, and Israel’s enemies at home and abroad.
“While The Hague protects terrorists and tries to tie Israel’s hands, I will continue to fully support Israel’s soldiers and act decisively for the security of Israeli citizens.
“We will not surrender to terrorism — we bring terrorists to their knees. I’m sorry to disappoint those ‘seekers of justice’ — I will not apologize, I will not hesitate, and I will not stop.”
The disgraced former ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had previously pushed for warrants against both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich and also discussed issuing warrants against Defense Minister Yisrael Katz, former IDF Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi, and current Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir.
Unlike the public warrants previously issued against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, the court could choose to secretly issue sealed warrants, preventing suspects from knowing about them and taking steps to avoid arrest.
In July 2025, the ICC refused to retract the arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant despite the damning information revealed about Khan.
That means that despite the proof of Khan’s incorrigible character and his total lack of integrity in issuing the warrants, each of the 125 member states of the court — nearly all European countries, most countries in Central and South America, as well as Canada, Australia, and Japan — is obligated to arrest Netanyahu and Gallant if they enter their territory.
It was the first time since its establishment in 2002 that the court has issued arrest warrants against leaders of a democratic state. All 59 arrest warrants previously issued by the court were against figures from countries such as Libya, Congo, Sudan, Mali, Georgia, and Russia, or against members of terrorist organizations.
(YWN Israel Desk—Jerusalem)
