Bezalel Smotrich Faces ICC Arrest Warrant as He Orders Demolition of Khan al‑Ahmar

Bezalel Smotrich ICC arrest warrant Khan al-Ahmar West Bank settlement forced displacement

The International Criminal Court’s prosecutor has filed a request for an arrest warrant against Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, accusing him of forced displacement of Palestinians, war crimes and crimes against humanity linked to settlement expansion in the occupied West Bank. Smotrich called the move a “declaration of war” and announced that he would order the evacuation and demolition of the Palestinian Bedouin village Khan al‑Ahmar, home to roughly 750 residents near Jerusalem. The village has been a focal point of legal battles over Israeli settlement annexation plans, including the controversial E1 project.

The ICC previously issued arrest warrants in November 2024 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over war‑crime allegations in Gaza. Smotrich’s threatened demolition is presented as retaliation against the ICC’s actions, while Palestinian authorities and Israeli NGOs condemn the plan as collective punishment and a breach of international law.