AMSTERDAM (Reuters) – Appeals judges at the International Criminal Court on Thursday ordered a lower panel to reconsider Israel’s objections to the court’s jurisdiction over arrest warrants issued against Israeli leaders last year.
The appeals chamber said the court had not properly weighed challenges by Israel to its jurisdiction and the legality of arrest warrant requests against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant for their conduct of the Gaza war.
The so-called Pre-Trial Chamber had ruled that Israel’s challenges had been premature, but the appeals judges now said that had been an “error of law”.
It said Israel’s argument that it was entitled to challenge the jurisdiction was not sufficiently addressed.
“The Appeals Chamber therefore reversed the decision and remanded the matter to the Pre-Trial Chamber for a new ruling on the substance of Israel’s challenge to the jurisdiction of the Court,” they said.
The office of the ICC Prosecutor said it was studying the new ruling, without offering further comment.
Israel and Palestinian leaders have dismissed allegations of war crimes, and representatives for both sides have criticised ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan’s decision to seek warrants for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
(Reporting by Stephanie van den Berg; writing by Bart Meijer; editing by Philippa Fletcher)
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