JERUSALEM, May 19 (Xinhua) -- Israeli far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said Tuesday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague is seeking a "secret" arrest warrant against him, calling the move "a declaration of war."
Smotrich said at a news conference that he has been informed that the ICC "submitted a secret request for an international arrest warrant," without providing further details.
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and other officials in November 2024 over alleged war crimes in Gaza. Recent media reports said the ICC has sought warrants for several additional Israeli officials.
Smotrich blamed the Palestinian Authority and threatened to respond with "all-out war." He also signed an order to demolish the Palestinian Bedouin village of Khan al-Ahmar in the occupied West Bank, claiming "this is only the beginning."
Israel has faced international accusations of genocide and starvation in Gaza, where Gaza-based health authorities said over 72,700 people have been killed since October 2023, as well as forced displacement and ethnic cleansing in the West Bank. ■
