Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich responded to reports that the International Criminal Court is exploring investigating additional Israeli political and military leaders for war crimes by announcing that he will evacuate a Palestinian village in the West Bank during a Tuesday press briefing.
“Immediately after I finish speaking here, I will sign an order to evacuate Khan al-Ahmar, within my authority as a minister in the Defense Ministry. I promise all our enemies: This is only the beginning,” he said.
The ICC initially issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant in 2024 amid investigations into allegations of war crimes in Gaza during the Israel-Hamas War.
Following the initial report, suspicions were widely held that Smotrich was one of the three politicians the Haaretz report said would be issued arrest warrants, but the ICC never issued any such warrants or stated which politicians it may or may not be investigating.
This is a developing report.