The ICC Investigation into the Situation in the State of Palestine
The State of Palestine joined the International Criminal Court (ICC) in 2015. On 3 March 2021, the ICC Prosecutor at the time, Fatou Bensouda, opened an investigation into the situation in the State of Palestine. On 20 May 2024, the current Prosecutor, Karim Khan, announced that he was seeking arrest warrants against Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif, and Ismail Haniyeh as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt) since 7 October 2023. The publications listed below examine key legal aspects of the investigation.
All materials on legal proceedings relating to Israel and the oPt can be found here.
ICC Arrest Warrants Against Israeli and Hamas Officials
This legal update covers the publicly known content of the ICC arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas officials issued on 21 November 2024, possible next steps in the proceedings, and legal implications for State and non-State parties to the Court.
Application for Arrest Warrants Against Israeli and Hamas Officials
This legal update covers the ICC Prosecutor’s application for the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli and Hamas officials, made public on 20 May 2024.
Questions and Answers
The objective of this Q&A is to provide clarity on the ICC’s mandate, competence, and legal process in general and specifically for its investigation of the Situation in Palestine.
Photo Credits:
Cover Photo: Frontal View of the ICC Building. Courtesy of the ICC. All Rights Reserved.
ICC Arrest Warrants: The ICC headquarters in the hague, netherlands. Courtesy of the Icc. All Rights Reserved.
Application for the Issuance of Arrest Warrants: cover image accompanying the Prosecutor’s Statement as published on the ICC website, 20 May 2024. Courtesy of the ICC. All rights reserved.
Q&A on the Investigation: The building of the ICC. Courtesy of the ICC. All Rights Reserved.