Israelis are predicting that the advisory opinion issued by the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which called on Israel to end its illegal occupation of the Palestinian territories, may encourage the judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague to issue international arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and War Minister Yoav Gallant.

The ICJ issued its advisory opinion on Friday regarding the legal consequences arising from Israel’s policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. It concluded that “the State of Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful” due to the gravity of its violations of international law, including the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, and the prohibition of ethnic discrimination and apartheid.
Khan’s submission of a surprise request to issue arrest warrants against Israeli leaders on charges of committing war crimes in Gaza was the ICC’s first attempt to arrest the leader of a Western-backed state while still in office.