Israel has raised concerns about the impartiality of an International Criminal Court (ICC) judge assigned to a panel considering an arrest warrant for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The ICC Chief Prosecutor requested arrest warrants in May for Netanyahu, former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders over alleged war crimes during the Gaza conflict. Approval of the warrants requires ICC judges’ consent, but the process has been delayed by Israel’s legal challenges to the Court’s jurisdiction.
The delay was further compounded when Romanian judge Iulia Motoc, citing health issues, stepped down from the three-judge panel last month. She was replaced by Slovenian judge Beti Hohler, prompting Israel to question her impartiality.
In a statement dated November 11 and seen by Reuters, the Israeli Attorney-General’s Office highlighted that Judge Hohler previously worked for the ICC’s Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) before her election as a judge in December 2023.
While acknowledging that prior employment with the OTP does not inherently imply bias, Israel emphasised that such circumstances could raise reasonable concerns about impartiality.
The ICC Prosecutor’s May filing alleged that Netanyahu, Gallant, and the three Hamas leaders—now deceased or presumed dead—committed war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Court generally rules on arrest warrant requests within three months, though no set deadline exists.
