The International Criminal Court on Friday dropped its case against former Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh, who was killed in Iran on July 31 by a strike blamed on Israel.
ICC prosecutor Karim Khan had requested the court issue an arrest warrant for Haniyeh, along with other top Hamas officials, Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant.
But Khan dropped the application for Haniyeh on August 2 "because of the changed circumstances caused by Mr Haniyeh's death," the ICC said in a statement.
"As a result, (the court) terminates the proceedings against Mr Ismail Haniyeh," the statement added.
The court is still weighing Khan's application for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant.
Khan also sought warrants for Yahya Sinwar, named by Hamas to replace Haniyeh, and military strategist Mohammed Deif.
Deif was killed by a strike on July 13 in southern Gaza, according to Israel.
Khan charged Netanyahu and Gallant of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, including "starvation of civilians", "extermination", and "intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population."
The three Hamas leaders were charged with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza, and Israel during the attacks on October 7.
- Heinous crimes -
Unlike the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which deals with disputes between countries, the ICC tries individuals suspected of the most heinous crimes.
It is the world's only independent court set up to probe the gravest offences, including genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The court hit the headlines in March 2023, issuing an arrest warrant for Russian President Vladimir Putin on the accusation of unlawfully deporting Ukrainian children.
However it relies on its member states to carry out arrest warrants and has no police force of its own.
Putin was able to travel to ICC member Mongolia in September despite the arrest warrant against him, sparking outrage from Ukraine and the European Union amongst others.
Israel has found itself increasingly under the spotlight of international legal institutions as it presses its campaign against Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
The ICJ ruled in July that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory was "unlawful."
The ICJ is also investigating a case brought by South Africa alleging that Israel is committing "genocidal acts" in its Gaza offensive.
The court has ordered Israel to "immediately halt its military offensive, and any other action in the Rafah governorate which may inflict on the Palestinian group in Gaza conditions of life that could bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part".
Hamas's October 7 attack on Israel resulted in the deaths of 1,205 people, mostly civilians including some hostages killed in captivity, according to official Israeli figures.
Of 251 hostages seized by Palestinian militants during the attack, 97 remain in Gaza including 33 the Israeli military says are dead. Scores were released during a one-week truce in November.
Israel's retaliatory offensive in Gaza has so far killed at least 40,878 people, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.