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Israel Asks ICC Judges to Withdraw Netanyahu Arrest Warrant 

A person holds a fake arrest warrant for Israel Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as another holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration on the Place Stalingrad to protest against the Interior Minister's decision to dissolve the antifascist group Jeune Garde and the Urgence Palestine collective in Paris, on May 6, 2025. (AFP)
A person holds a fake arrest warrant for Israel Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as another holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration on the Place Stalingrad to protest against the Interior Minister's decision to dissolve the antifascist group Jeune Garde and the Urgence Palestine collective in Paris, on May 6, 2025. (AFP)
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Israel Asks ICC Judges to Withdraw Netanyahu Arrest Warrant 

A person holds a fake arrest warrant for Israel Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as another holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration on the Place Stalingrad to protest against the Interior Minister's decision to dissolve the antifascist group Jeune Garde and the Urgence Palestine collective in Paris, on May 6, 2025. (AFP)
A person holds a fake arrest warrant for Israel Prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu as another holds a Palestinian flag during a demonstration on the Place Stalingrad to protest against the Interior Minister's decision to dissolve the antifascist group Jeune Garde and the Urgence Palestine collective in Paris, on May 6, 2025. (AFP)

Israel has asked judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) to withdraw arrest warrants against its prime minister and defense minister while the ICC reviews Israeli challenges to its jurisdiction over the conduct of the Gaza war.

Documents published on the ICC website late on Sunday also show Israel has asked the court to order the prosecution to suspend its investigation into alleged atrocity crimes in the Palestinian Territories.

The documents are dated May 9 and signed by Israeli Deputy Attorney General Gilad Noam.

The ICC issued arrest warrants on Nov. 21 for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former defense chief, as well as a Hamas leader, Ibrahim al-Masri, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza conflict.

The ICC said in February that judges had withdrawn the arrest warrant for al-Masri, also known as Mohammed Deif, following credible reports of his death.

Israel, which rejects the jurisdiction of the Hague-based court and denies war crimes in Gaza, is contesting the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.

In April the ICC's appeals chamber ruled that the judges of the pre-trial chamber which issued the warrants must review Israel's objections regarding the court's jurisdiction and the legality of the arrest warrants.

It is not clear what form the ordered review will take and there are no specific deadlines set for decisions on Israel's request to withdraw the warrants and halt the investigation.

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US Has ‘No Plans’ to Recognize Palestinian State, Vance Says Before Talks with UK Foreign Secretary

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)
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US Has ‘No Plans’ to Recognize Palestinian State, Vance Says Before Talks with UK Foreign Secretary

Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)
Vice President JD Vance speaks during a meeting with Britain's Foreign Secretary David Lammy at Chevening House in Kent, England, Friday, Aug. 8, 2025. (AP)

US Vice President JD Vance met with UK Foreign Secretary David Lammy on Friday at a stately home south of London, with the two leaders saying the agenda includes global economics and the Israel-Hamas war and Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

Taking questions from reporters before their talks, Vance addressed the UK decision to recognize a Palestinian state in September unless Israel agrees to a ceasefire in Gaza, saying he wasn’t sure what such recognition would even mean, “given the lack of a functional government there.”

Asked whether Trump had been given a heads up on Israel’s announced intent to occupy Gaza City, Vance said he wouldn't go into such conversations.

“If it was easy to bring peace to that region of the world, it would have been done already,” he said.

The meeting comes amid debates between Washington and London about the best way to end the wars between Russia and Ukraine, as well as Israel and Hamas. It’s also taking place as the United Kingdom tries to come to favorable terms for steel and aluminum exports to the US, and the two sides work out details of a broader trade deal announced at the end of June.

Russian President Vladimir Putin said Thursday that he hoped to meet with US President Donald Trump next week, comments that came a day before Trump’s deadline for Moscow to show progress in ending the nearly 3½-year war in Ukraine.

While Trump has focused on bilateral talks with Putin, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other European leaders have stressed that Ukraine must be part of any negotiations on ending the war.

The US and Britain, which have historically close ties known as “the special relationship,” have also disagreed on their approach to ending the war in Gaza.

The meeting took place at Chevening, an almost 400-year-old mansion surrounded by 3,000 acres (about 1,200 hectares) of gardens that serves as the foreign secretary’s official country residence.

About two dozen protesters were spotted on the road before the turnoff to the stately home. A few were wearing keffiyeh scarves and another held up a round sign that had a meme making fun of Vance printed on it.