The International Criminal Court (ICC) may issue arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and senior Israeli military officials as early as this week, NBC News reported on Monday, citing an Israeli official familiar with the matter.
Israel is reportedly working via diplomatic channels to prevent the issuance of the arrest warrants.
At the same time, the ICC was quoted as saying that it "has an ongoing independent investigation in relation to the Situation in the State of Palestine" and has "no further comment to make at this stage" when asked by the broadcaster about media reports of the potential arrest warrants.
Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognize its jurisdiction.
On October 7, 2023, Palestinian movement Hamas launched a large-scale rocket attack against Israel from Gaza and breached the border, killing 1,200 people and abducting around 240 others, according to Israeli data. Israel launched retaliatory strikes, ordered a complete blockade of Gaza, and started a ground incursion into the Palestinian enclave with the declared goal of eliminating Hamas fighters and rescuing the hostages.
Israel's retaliatory offensive has killed almost 34,500 people in Gaza, mostly women and children, according to the Hamas-run territory's health ministry.