Ben-Gvir Defies ICC, Vows to Expand Israeli Settlements in West Bank
Despite looming ICC arrest warrants, Israeli ministers double down on illegal settlement expansion, triggering fresh scrutiny under international law.
Palestine, PUREWILAYAH.COM - Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has vowed to accelerate the expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank, brushing off reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) is preparing arrest warrants against him and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“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,” Ben-Gvir declared on social media platform X.
He added defiantly, “The prosecutor in The Hague doesn’t scare me. I’ll do everything I can to protect my people, even if it costs me an arrest warrant.”
He concluded: “When The Hague is against me, I know I’m on the right path.”
ICC Investigates Settlement Expansion as War Crimes
Ben-Gvir’s comments came in response to a Wall Street Journal report revealing that ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan is working on issuing arrest warrants for both Ben-Gvir and Smotrich. The charges under consideration include war crimes tied to their roles in expanding settlements—actions deemed illegal under international law.
According to officials cited in the report, The Hague is examining whether their efforts to promote settlements in the West Bank amount to violations of the Geneva Convention, which prohibits an occupying power from transferring parts of its own population into occupied territory.
Settlement Push Intensifies Amid Gaza Genocide
Since the outbreak of Israel’s genocidal campaign in Gaza in October 2023, Tel Aviv has accelerated settlement expansion in the West Bank. The move is seen as part of a broader effort to annex more Palestinian land despite global condemnation.
This comes amid escalating rhetoric from members of the Israeli Knesset rejecting the creation of a Palestinian state. The United Nations has repeatedly called for an immediate halt to all settlement activities, labeling them illegal under international law.
Today, there are an estimated 770,000 Israeli settlers residing in the occupied West Bank, spread across 180 settlements and 256 unauthorized outposts.
Netanyahu and Gallant Already Face ICC Warrants
The developments follow the ICC’s November 24, 2024 issuance of arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They face accusations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including the use of starvation as a method of warfare, murder, persecution, and other inhumane acts.
Aid-for-Settlements Deal Raises Eyebrows
Just last week, Smotrich authorized a major expansion deal in the West Bank in exchange for permitting the entry of five humanitarian aid trucks into Gaza. The controversial agreement included approval for 22 new settlements and hundreds of new housing units in previously unofficial settler outposts.
Funding for this expansion will come in part from the Ministry of Settlements, headed by Orit Strook.
Ironically, less than a month prior, Smotrich had threatened to resign if any aid was allowed into Gaza. “If a single grain of humanitarian aid reaches Hamas, I will leave the cabinet,” he said at the time. “Over my dead body.” (PW)
Source: QNN