Israel's far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich said he was informed that the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague has requested a secret arrest warrant against him. Speaking at a press conference, Smotrich did not disclose who informed him or the specific allegations, and the prosecutor's office declined to comment, citing the confidentiality of the process.

Under the court's procedures, prosecutors may submit confidential applications to judges, who must determine whether there are reasonable grounds to believe a suspect committed crimes within the court's jurisdiction. In November 2024, the court issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former defense minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Ibrahim Al-Masri over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict.

Smotrich described the warrants against Israeli officials as 'a declaration of war' by the Palestinian Authority, reflecting anger within the Israeli government over Palestinian support for international legal action. Smotrich has previously faced sanctions from Britain and four other countries for alleged incitement of violence in the West Bank and has advocated for the permanent conquest of Gaza, a position rejected by Netanyahu.