The International Criminal Court (ICC) announced on Wednesday that it has canceled the arrest warrant for Hamas’ former military chief, Mohammed Deif, following confirmation of his death in an Israeli air strike last year, AFP reported.
The decision was made after ICC prosecutors informed the court that they had obtained "sufficient and reliable information" confirming that Deif was killed in July 2023 in Gaza.
"As a result, the Chamber decides to terminate the proceedings against Mr. Deif and renders the arrest warrant... against him without effect," wrote presiding judge Nicolas Guillou in a legal ruling.
Hamas did not acknowledge Deif’s death until late last month, when it released an official statement confirming what it described as his "martyrdom."
Judge Guillou noted that the cancellation of the warrant was "without prejudice to pursuing again, should information become available that Mr. Deif is still alive."
The ICC issued an arrest warrant against Deif in November of 2024, at the same time as it issued warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, citing war crimes committed in Gaza.
At that time, the court also issued an arrest warrant for former Hamas political bureau chief Ismail Haniyeh. It terminated the proceedings against Haniyeh in September of 2024, following his death in Tehran several months earlier.