Smotrich says ICC prosecutor has requested warrant for his arrest; orders demolition of West Bank hamlet

Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich announced that International Criminal Court Prosecutor Karim Khan has requested an arrest warrant against him, allegedly over his role in expanding Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank; Smotrich responded by ordering the demolition of a Palestinian hamlet east of Jerusalem. The ICC prosecutor has previously signaled intent to investigate settlement expansion as a potential war crime, though formal charges remain pending and Smotrich's characterization of the warrant request as a "declaration of war" reflects the escalating legal and political tensions surrounding Israeli settlement policy.