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.

Khan also sought warrants for Yahya Sinwar, named by Hamas to replace Haniyeh, and military strategist Mohammed Deif.

Israel claimed it killed Deif in a strike on July 13 in southern Gaza.

The court is still weighing Khan's application for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu and Gallant.

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."

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.

However it relies on its member states to carry out arrest warrants and has no police force of its own.

Israel has found itself increasingly under the spotlight of international legal institutions as it pushes with its carpet bombing and ground invasion of civilian-packed Gaza.

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 charging that Israel is committing "genocidal acts" in its now 11-month assault on Gaza.

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".  Israel has not complied with the court's orders and has only escalated its violence against Palestinians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Israel has killed at least 40,878 Palestinians in Gaza, mostly children and women, according to the health ministry's recent toll.

An Israeli siege has pushed much of Gaza to the brink of famine and facilitated the spread of previously eradicated diseases such as polio, prompting a children's vaccination campaign in the Palestinian enclave.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.