Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Monday rejected one in a series of legal challenges brought by Israel against the court’s investigation into its conduct during the Gaza war, upholding a lower court ruling that allows the probe to continue.
In the appeal, judges refused to overturn a November decision that the prosecution’s investigation into alleged crimes under the court’s jurisdiction could include events following the deadly Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, 2023, which triggered the broader conflict.
The ruling means the ongoing ICC investigation into alleged war crimes and other violations in Gaza remains intact, and that arrest warrants issued last year for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence chief Yoav Gallant continue to stand.
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Israel, which does not recognise the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court, has repeatedly challenged the probe and denied accusations of war crimes, describing its military actions as necessary operations against Hamas.
The ICC inquiry, which has drawn criticism from Israeli officials and some of its allies, has been one of several legal and diplomatic flashpoints in the long-running conflict between Israel and Palestinian armed groups.
