The International Criminal Court scraps an arrest warrant issued against Hamas’s former military chief Muhammad Deif, who was killed in an Israeli airstrike last year.
The decision by The Hague-based court comes after prosecutors earlier this month told its judges they had “sufficient and reliable information” that Deif was killed last July in Gaza.
“As a result, the Chamber decides to terminate the proceedings against Mr. Deif and renders the arrest warrant… against him without effect,” presiding judge Nicolas Guillou says in a written decision.
Israel announced Deif’s death shortly after the strike, but Hamas did not confirm this until late last month, when the terror group issued a statement announcing his “martyrdom.”
Judge Guillou adds the order is “without prejudice to pursuing again, should information become available that Mr. Deif is still alive.”
Set up in the late 1990s to try those accused of the world’s worst crimes, the ICC issued an arrest warrant against Deif in November last year.
At the same time, it also issued warrants against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense minister, Yoav Gallant.
Help us report truthfully on social media
As a multimedia journalist, my job is to take the quality, fact-based journalism produced by The Times of Israel newsroom and make it accessible across every platform — from Instagram posts to podcasts to short-form videos.
This is how many, especially young people, consume news these days. But misinformation is rampant on social media. Our team at ToI produces accurate, responsible short-form reporting on Israel and the Jewish world.
If you believe in the importance of factual social media journalism, please consider joining our reader support group, The Times of Israel Community. Your financial support is essential to sustain responsible multimedia reporting.
— Gabriella Jacobs, multimedia journalist
Support our work
Support our work
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
You're a dedicated reader
We’re really pleased that you’ve read X Times of Israel articles in the past month.
That’s why we started the Times of Israel - to provide discerning readers like you with must-read coverage of Israel and the Jewish world.
So now we have a request. Unlike other news outlets, we haven’t put up a paywall. But as the journalism we do is costly, we invite readers for whom The Times of Israel has become important to help support our work by joining The Times of Israel Community.
For as little as $6 a month you can help support our quality journalism while enjoying The Times of Israel AD-FREE, as well as accessing exclusive content available only to Times of Israel Community members.
Thank you,
David Horovitz, Founding Editor of The Times of Israel
Join Our Community
Join Our Community
Already a member? Sign in to stop seeing this
From 
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on Google
