Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said that the International Criminal Court has declared war on Israel by issuing arrest warrants for top officials. 

On Tuesday, the Israeli minister said, “Last night I was informed that a request for a secret international arrest warrant had been filed against me by the criminal prosecutor of the Anti-Semitic Tribunal in The Hague.” 

Multiple outlets have reported in recent days that the ICC has issued secret arrest warrants for Israeli officials. While the court has not confirmed the reports, on Monday, Middle East Eye reported that an ICC prosecutor was seeking an arrest warrant for Smotrich and other Israeli officials for committing the crime of apartheid in the West Bank. 

The ICC previously issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. Smotrich asserted that the arrest warrants amount to a “declaration of war” against Israel, and blamed the Palestinian Authority. 

The ICC has also issued arrest warrants for three Hamas officials. Israel killed all three of the wanted men. 

The ICC has investigated Israelis over the crimes committed against Palestinians. Human rights groups have labeled the war in Gaza a genocide and the occupation of the West Bank as apartheid. 

After stating the ICC was seeking his arrest, Smotrich said he would use his power to push forward with the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians. “From today, any economic or other target that I have the power to harm within the framework of my powers as Minister of Finance and as a minister in the Ministry Defense will be attacked,” he said. 

Israel is not a signatory to the treaty that created the ICC, and is not bound to comply with the arrest warrants. However, states that are members of the court would be required to arrest any person wanted by the ICC who travels to their country.