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Israeli finance minister orders eviction of West Bank community over reports of ICC arrest warrant

May 21, 2026

Israeli Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich has ordered the forced displacement of occupied Jerusalem’s Khan al-Ahmar in response to reports that he may be targeted by an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant, along with other officials.

Smotrich also vowed to impose “war” on the Palestinian Authority (PA), while National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, reportedly also a target for a potential ICC warrant, has lashed out at the court as well and vowed to continue escalating against Palestinians.

In response to the new reports about the warrants, Smotrich signed an order on 19 May for the displacement of Khan al-Ahmar, a Palestinian Bedouin community east of occupied Jerusalem whose strategic location is considered critical to the territorial continuity and viability of a future Palestinian state.

“Issuing international arrest warrants against the prime minister, the defense minister, and the finance minister is a declaration of war. The Palestinian Authority is the one that started the war, and therefore it will get war. I promise all our enemies. This is just the beginning,” Smotrich said on X.

הוצאת צווי מעצר בינלאומיים נגד ראש הממשלה, שר הביטחון ושר האוצר זו הכרזת מלחמה.

הרשות הפלסטינית היא זו שפתחה במלחמה ולכן היא תקבל מלחמה.

אני מבטיח לכל אויבנו.
זוהי רק ההתחלה. pic.twitter.com/qpBaqV6Mke

— בצלאל סמוטריץ' (@bezalelsm) May 19, 2026

For decades, the Jahalin Bedouin community of Khan al-Ahmar has faced persistent targeting and forced displacement threats by Israel, which seeks to demolish the entire village under the pretext of lacking building permits.

Smotrich signs an order to evacuate and demolish the Palestinian village of Khan al-Ahmar in the Jordan Valley in response to the International Criminal Court's decision to arrest him for committing war crimes against the Palestinian people. pic.twitter.com/QlTnVEtDtV

— dr. mohammed hamad – Gaza (@Medo198518) May 19, 2026

Israeli policies have hindered the community’s daily life by denying them access to electricity and water, repeatedly destroying infrastructure, and confiscating solar panels.

Located along a critical highway corridor in the West Bank’s E1 zone, the area is viewed as vital to a future Palestinian state. Israeli efforts to erase it are intended to connect Israeli settlements like Maale Adumim to occupied Jerusalem.

A day before Smotrich’s threats, Ben Gvir took to social media to slam the Hague and vow to accelerate the forced displacement of Palestinians and torture of prisoners.

אני לא מפחד ולא נרתע. שום צו בהאג לא ירתיע אותי מלהמשיך להוביל מדיניות תקיפה נגד מחבלים, נגד הטרור ונגד אויבי ישראל מבית ומחוץ.

בזמן שבהאג מגינים על מחבלים ומנסים לכבול את ידיה של ישראל – אני אמשיך לתת גיבוי מלא ללוחמי ישראל ולפעול בנחישות למען ביטחון אזרחי ישראל.

מול הטרור לא…

— איתמר בן גביר (@itamarbengvir) May 18, 2026

“I am not afraid and not deterred. No order from The Hague will deter me from continuing to lead an aggressive policy against terrorists, against terror, and against Israel’s enemies from within and without … The Hague defends terrorists and tries to tie Israel’s hands. I will continue to give full backing to Israel’s fighters and act with determination,” the national security minister said.

Haaretz reported this week that the ICC has issued secret arrest warrants for three Israeli politicians and two military officials.

The figures include Defense Minister Israel Katz, Smotrich, Ben Gvir, and top military officials.

An ICC spokesman told reporters that the Haaretz report was “not accurate” and that warrants have yet to be filed, adding that the court “denies the issuance of new arrest warrants in the situation in the state of Palestine.”

According to a Middle East Eye (MEE) exclusive, the Haaretz report was false. The MEE report says instead that the ICC prosecutor’s office issued an application for a warrant against Smotrich, and that a review is underway to examine the possibility of two more warrants, including one for Ben Gvir.

“The charges against Smotrich include forced displacement as a crime against humanity and war crime … and persecution and apartheid as crimes against humanity,” MEE stated.

Smotrich and Ben Gvir have openly called for the starvation of the Gaza Strip’s population and are leading figures in the push to accelerate illegal settlement expansion and annexation.

In November 2024, the ICC issued arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former war minister Yoav Gallant, charging them with war crimes and crimes against humanity during the genocide in Gaza.