Israeli Minister Ben-Gvir slams ICC, vows escalation against Palestinians

Far-right Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir attacked the International Criminal Court late Monday and vowed to continue escalating against Palestinians after reports said the court is considering issuing an international arrest warrant against him.

Earlier Monday, British news site Middle East Eye reported that a request had been submitted to the court seeking sealed arrest warrants for Ben-Gvir and Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.

The outlet did not identify who submitted the request, and neither the International Criminal Court nor the Israeli government had issued an official comment as of yet.

“I am not afraid and not deterred. No order from The Hague will deter me from continuing to lead an offensive policy against terrorists,” Ben-Gvir said in a statement.

“I'm sorry to disappoint those ‘justice seekers,’ I won't apologize, I won't blink, and I won't stop,” he added.

Palestinian and international rights groups have increasingly called for an arrest warrant against Ben-Gvir, citing his repeated inciting remarks against Palestinian prisoners and his push for legislation in the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, to execute prisoners.

During Israel’s genocidal war in Gaza, Ben-Gvir repeatedly incited violence against Palestinians in the enclave and endorsed calls for their forced displacement.

In November 2024, the International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Backed by the US, Israel launched a war on Gaza on Oct. 8, 2023. The offensive has killed more than 72,000 Palestinians and wounded over 172,000 others, most of them women and children, while destroying 90% of civilian infrastructure.

Since then, Israeli army and occupier attacks in the occupied West Bank have killed 1,162 Palestinians, injured around 12,245 others and led to nearly 23,000 arrests, according to official Palestinian figures.

*Writing by Lina Altawell in Istanbul