The International Criminal Court 's chief prosecutor has sought secret arrest warrants for five senior Israeli officials in relation to alleged war crimes committed against the Palestinians, Israeli outlet Haaretz reported on Sunday.
A source told the newspaper that the warrants would target Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, two extremist members of the government who have pushed aggressively to annex the occupied territories and forcibly displace the Palestinian population.
The chief prosecutor's office has also requested that two military officials and the far-right settlement minister Orit Strook be indicted, a diplomatic source said.
The court in 2024 issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defence minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Gaza.
Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan announced the warrants publicly at the time, provoking a furious response from the United States which imposed crippling sanctions on the court and its top officials.
ICC judges were reported to have subsequently banned him from publicising any new applications related to Palestine.
The latest warrants would be issued in secret, according to Haaretz , increasing the likelihood that the targets will be arrested and reducing outside pressure on the court.
The ICC clarified on Sunday that it has not issued fresh arrest warrants for Israeli officials but did not deny that new applications had been filed.
ICC spokesperson Oriane Maillet said in a note to journalists that the Haaretz report was not accurate, and the court "denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine". For a warrant to be issued, a panel of three judges must approve a request submitted by the chief prosecutor.
Multiple news outlets reported last year that Khan was preparing new warrant applications for Israeli officials, including Smotrich and Ben-Gvir . The Wall Street Journal reported in May that Smotrich and Ben-Gvir were under investigation for their role in expanding settlements, which the International Court of Justice ruled as illegal in 2024.
Khan was suspended from his position that month after a complaint of sexual misconduct was made against him.
The Haaretz report did not specify when he sought the new warrants.
A handful of Western countries have imposed sanctions and travel bans on Smotrich and Ben-Gvir since October 2023, including the UK, Australia, Canada, the Netherlands, Belgium and Spain. The Dutch government last year banned the ministers from entering any of the 29 countries in the Schengen Area.
Netanyahu and Gallant are accused by the court of committing mass starvation, murder, persecution and intentionally directing attacks against civilians in Gaza.
The court also issued warrants for three Hamas leaders, all of whom were subsequently killed by the Israeli military.