ICC

The International Criminal Court (ICC), based in The Hague in The Netherlands is the world's sole permanent court with the power to prosecute individuals for international crimes. These crimes include genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression. 


Typically, cases will advance to the ICC once they have cycled through local and national courts with no prosecution of crimes.


As of September 2021, 123 countries are signed on the Rome Statute, the binding legal treaty that enacted the creation of the court and serves as its legal guide. Israel signed on to the Statute on December 31, 2000, but its signature was never approved or accepted. 


The Judicial Division is the body of lawmakers that hears cases, headed by the president. Cases are brought to the Judicial Division by the Prosecutor. 


On March 3, 2021, then-ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda announced the opening of a full war crimes probe against Israel and Hamas, focusing on the Gaza wars in 2014 and 2018, as well as the launching of rockets by Hamas against Israeli civilians and the settlement enterprise.

Read More
Less
  Benjamin Netanyahu (R) hosts then-German Leader of the Opposition, Friedrich Merz, (L) in Jerusale

Election winner Merz invites Netanyahu to Germany, defying arrest warrant

Merz told Netanyahu he would invite him to Germany 'in defiance of the scandalous International Criminal Court decision to label the Prime Minister a war criminal.'

By REUTERS
24/02/2025

Israel must fight for justice, not vengeance

This is not what I had in mind when I made my case for the death penalty.

By JONATHAN LIEBERMAN
22/02/2025
 Dr. Gilad Noam seen in The Hague, Netherlands, May 16, 2024

Meet Israel's czar responsible for holding back ICJ, ICC's war crimes tsunami

Dr. Gilad Noam has the responsibility to protect the State of Israel from genocide recriminations.

How Israel could have avoided ICC warrants for Netanyahu, Gallant

ICC: Attempts to secure the agreement of Israel to allow Gaza access should not be conflated with the planning of actual mission deployments.

UN's Albanese slams Italian official for meeting Netanyahu

UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese called the Italian Deputy PM's photo with Netanyahu "an affront to the Italian Constitution."

White House confirms war crimes prosecutor first target of ICC sanctions

The sanctions, which repeat action Trump took during his first term, include freezing of US assets of those designated and barring them and their families from visiting the United States.

By REUTERS
10/02/2025

Former Defense Minister Gallant heckled in New York

"Why should you be allowed to walk the streets of New York?" among the commentary from assailants.

International Criminal Court prosecutor Khan first to be hit by US sanctions, sources say

Karim Khan, who is British, was named on Friday in an annex - not yet made public - to an executive order signed by Trump a day earlier, a senior ICC official and another source claimed.

By REUTERS
07/02/2025

'Court stands firmly by its personnel': ICC condemns US-issued sanctions

On Thursday, US President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing sanctions on the court.

Trump sanctions ICC over ‘baseless’ arrest warrants against Netanyahu, Gallant

Donald Trump said the ICC abused its power by issuing "baseless arrest warrants" targeting Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Subscribe for our daily newsletter
Subscribe for our daily newsletter

By subscribing I accept the terms of use and privacy policy