Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) and vowed to intensify actions against Palestinians after reports said the court is weighing an international arrest warrant against him.
Earlier in the day, Middle East Eye reported that a request had been submitted to the ICC seeking sealed arrest warrants for Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich over allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity involving Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
The outlet did not identify who filed the request, and neither the ICC nor the Israeli government had issued any official comment at the time of reporting.
“I am not afraid and not deterred. No order from The Hague will deter me from continuing to lead an offensive policy against terrorists,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement.
“I’m sorry to disappoint those ‘justice seekers.’ I won’t apologize, I won’t blink and I won’t stop,” he added.
Palestinian and international rights groups have increasingly called for an arrest warrant against Ben-Gvir, citing what they describe as repeated inciting remarks against Palestinian prisoners and his push for legislation in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to allow the execution of prisoners.
During Israel’s war in Gaza, Ben-Gvir has repeatedly made statements calling for increased pressure on Palestinians in the enclave and has endorsed calls for their forced displacement.
In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
Backed by the United States, Israel launched its war on Gaza on Oct. 7, 2023. The conflict has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 172,000 others, most of them women and children, while destroying much of Gaza’s civilian infrastructure.
Since then, Israeli military operations in the occupied West Bank have killed 1,162 Palestinians, injured about 12,245 others and led to nearly 23,000 arrests, according to Palestinian officials.
