International Criminal Court Appeals Chamber Decision Concerning Appeals Filed by Israel – Arrest Warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant are Binding by Al Haq

On 24 April 2025 the Appeals Chamber of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued two decisions concerning appeals filed by Israel against decisions of the Court’s Pre-Trial Chamber I in the Situation in the State of Palestine, decisions which turn primarily on questions related to Israel’s status as a non-State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Al-Haq notes that while the Appeals Chamber has granted Israel’s request to appeal one decision of the Pre-Trial Chamber in the Situation in the State of Palestine, it has rejected the others, and rejected Israel’s request for the suspensive effect of the arrest warrants, issued by Pre-Trial Chamber I against Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defence Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity… which means that they are still valid and binding on all of the states that are party to the Rome Statute.’ At a moment when the ICC is under unprecedented threat and attack, the failure of States Parties to uphold their legal obligations in executing arrest warrants against individuals accused of grave crimes undermines the very foundation of the entire international justice system.