Israel’s Ben-Gvir Pledges to Expand Settlements Amid ICC Arrest Warrant Report

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir vowed to accelerate the expansion of settlements in the occupied West Bank, following reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) was preparing arrest warrants for him and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich for their roles in settlement activities, which are considered illegal under international law.

“I have one clear message to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague: No arrest warrant of any kind will stop me from continuing to work for the people of Israel and the land of Israel,” he said on X.

“The prosecutor in The Hague doesn’t scare me,” he continued. “I’ll do everything I can to protect my people, even if it costs me an arrest warrant.”

“When The Hague is against me, I know I’m on the right path,” he concluded.

The comments follow a report by The Wall Street Journal that ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is working to issue arrest warrants for Ben-Gvir and Smotrich due to their role in the expansion of Israeli settlements.

The cited officials said that war crimes allegations were being considered against Smotrich and Ben-Gvir.

Now, The Hague is examining whether the activities of Smotrich and Ben-Gvir to promote settlements in the West Bank constitute a violation of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits countries from transferring their population to territories they have occupied.

Since the start of the genocide in Gaza in October 2023, Israel has escalated settlement activity in the West Bank. This is part of a broader strategy to annex more Palestinian land, despite international opposition.

Israel’s settlement expansion continues amid official statements among Knesset members rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state, defying international law. The United Nations has repeatedly called for a halt to these illegal settlements.

There are around 770,000 Israeli settlers living in the occupied West Bank, spread across 180 settlements and 256 outposts. These settlements are considered illegal under international law.

The ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on November 24, 2024 for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The war crimes include using “starvation as a method of warfare; and the crimes against humanity of murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.

Last week, Smotrich secured a major settlement expansion in the West Bank in exchange for allowing five humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza. The deal includes approval for 22 new settlements in the occupied West Bank and hundreds of new settlement units in previously unofficial settler outposts.

These expansions will be funded in part by the Ministry of Settlements, led by Orit Strook.

Less than a month ago, Smotrich vowed to quit the government if any aid entered Gaza. He said: “If a single grain of humanitarian aid reaches Hamas, I will leave the cabinet. I told the Prime Minister, I do not agree. Over my dead body.”