On Friday, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced the change of a judge who was scheduled to issue an arrest warrant for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, potentially delaying the decision.
The court stated in an official release that “the Romanian judge investigating Gaza was replaced due to health reasons.”
In May, the ICC requested an arrest warrant for Netanyahu, expressing suspicions of his involvement in war crimes and crimes against humanity. ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan noted at the time that there were “reasonable grounds to believe” that Netanyahu holds criminal responsibility for these violations.
The ICC also sought an arrest warrant for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, accusing him of committing war crimes.
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In an interview with CNN, Khan indicated that the charges against Netanyahu and Gallant involve “causing genocide, using starvation as a method of warfare—including blocking humanitarian aid supplies—and intentionally targeting civilians in conflict zones.”
The ICC is an independent judicial body with jurisdiction over individuals accused of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes. Recently, it issued an arrest warrant for the Russian president, citing war crime allegations. The ICC intervenes only when national authorities are unable or unwilling to halt or prosecute such crimes.
Previously, international tribunals in Yugoslavia and Rwanda prosecuted individuals for crimes against humanity, but these cases were restricted to acts committed within those countries during specific periods.
