ICC Shake-Up: Health Issues Prompt Judge Replacement in Netanyahu Case

The International Criminal Court has replaced a judge overseeing a case involving Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu due to health reasons, potentially causing delays. The prosecution has requested arrest warrants for Netanyahu and other leaders, citing war crimes in the Gaza conflict.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Friday that a judge has been replaced on health grounds in a case involving Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which could lead to further delays.

In a move anticipated to impact the timeline, Romanian magistrate Iulia Motoc, the presiding judge, stepped down due to health issues. Slovenian ICC judge Beti Hohler has been appointed as her replacement, a transition that comes amidst prosecution requests for warrants against Netanyahu, his Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three leaders of Hamas.

Prosecutors allege reasonable grounds of war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Gaza conflict. The new judge will require additional time to familiarize herself with case submissions, complicating the path to a timely decision on potential warrants.

(With inputs from agencies.)