Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich revealed on Tuesday that the prosecutor’s office of the International Criminal Court in The Hague has requested an arrest warrant be issued against him. Speaking at a press conference, he described the move as “a declaration of war.”

It was not immediately clear what charges the ICC prosecutor’s office might be seeking against the far-right minister, although a report in the Wall Street Journal last year indicated that Smotrich is being targeted by the court for the major role he has played in expanding settlements in the West Bank.

These actions are considered a violation of the Geneva Conventions by the International Court of Justice, and the ICC could therefore prosecute Smotrich for such violations as war crimes.

The Foreign Affairs Ministry and the ICC did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The ICC frequently issues its arrest warrants secretly in order to increase its chances of apprehending the targets of its warrants.

In what he said was a response to the warrant, Smotrich, who also serves as a minister in the Defense Ministry with authority over civilian affairs in the West Bank, announced at his press conference that he was ordering the demolition of the Khan al-Ahmar Bedouin village east of Jerusalem, which the international community has long sought to protect from removal by Israel.

The High Court of Justice approved demolition orders against Khan al-Ahmar in 2018 since it does not have a zoning plan or building permits and is therefore illegal. The state has, however, held off on implementing the demolition orders because of the possible diplomatic backlash that may occur if the hamlet is removed.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, after ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had filed a public request for the warrants in May 2024. Khan........

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