ICC judges ordered to review Israel's challenge of jurisdiction

Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court yesterday ordered a lower panel to reconsider Israel’s objections to the court’s jurisdiction over arrest warrants issued against Israeli leaders for their genocidal war on Gaza, Reuters reports.

The appeals chamber said the court had not properly weighed challenges by Israel to its jurisdiction and the legality of arrest warrant requests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.

The so-called Pre-Trial Chamber had ruled that Israel’s challenges had been premature, but the appeals judges now said that had been an “error of law”.

It said Israel’s argument that it was entitled to challenge the jurisdiction was not sufficiently addressed.

“The Appeals Chamber therefore reversed the decision and remanded the matter to the Pre-Trial Chamber for a new ruling on the substance of Israel’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Court,” they said.

The office of the ICC Prosecutor said it was studying the new ruling, without offering further comment. It has not withdrawn the existing arrest warrants.

In spite of the arrest warrants, Netanyahu and Gallant have travelled to the US and some European countries, with Hungary declaring that it would be pulling out of the ICC during the Israeli prime minister’s visit to the country.

READ: What is the International Criminal Court?