Far-right Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said on May 19 that he was informed that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague has requested an arrest warrant against him, describing the move as “a declaration of war.”
Shortly after announcing the warrants at a press conference, Smotrich, who also holds responsibilities within the Defense Ministry overseeing civilian matters in the occupied West Bank, ordered the demolition of the disputed Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar near Jerusalem.
Smotrich accused the Palestinian Authority of pressuring the ICC to pursue cases against senior Israeli officials and vowed to retaliate, saying he would target any economic or other interests within his authority as a minister.
While he did not specify the charges behind the warrant, Smotrich highlighted his role in expanding Israeli settlements in the West Bank, saying he had helped establish more than 100 settlements and 160 farming outposts controlling roughly 247,000 acres of land.
According to Middle East Eye, ICC prosecutors filed the confidential request last month over allegations including war crimes and crimes against humanity. The reported accusations against Smotrich include forcible population transfer, facilitating Israeli settlement activity in occupied territory, persecution and apartheid.
If approved by ICC judges, the warrant would reportedly mark the first time an international court has issued an arrest warrant tied to allegations of apartheid.
The report also said a separate hearing was recently held to consider possible arrest warrant requests against National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and other senior Israeli officials, though no formal applications have yet been filed.
Smotrich, a key partner in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition, has called for Israel to occupy Gaza and annex the West Bank.
