The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, has told judges that Israel's objections to investigations into the Gaza war should be rejected, Al Jazeera TV reported.

Khan's official response came in response to Israel's appeal over the court's jurisdiction after judges last year issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu, his former defense minister and Hamas military chief, accusing them of crimes against humanity. Netanyahu called the arrest warrants “a black day in the history of nations” and vowed to fight the charges.

Individuals cannot directly challenge the arrest warrant, but Israel at the state level can object to the entire investigation.

In a December statement, Israel argued that it can independently investigate allegations against its leaders and that continuing to investigate Israelis is a violation of state sovereignty.

In his 55-page response, Khan said the Rome Statute, the international treaty that established the ICC, allows it to prosecute crimes committed on the territory of member states, regardless of where the perpetrators are from. Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statute. The judges are expected to issue a ruling in the coming months.