ICC prosecutor Karim Khan in May requested the court issue arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Israel's Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over committing war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel has waged a deadly war on Gaza since October that has killed thousands of Palestinians, involved countless war crimes, and reduced the territory to rubble.

"The State of Israel submitted today its official challenge to the ICC's jurisdiction, as well as the legality of the prosecutor's requests for arrest warrants against Israel's prime minister and minister of defence," foreign ministry spokesman Oren Marmorstein said on X.

Khan also sought warrants against top Hamas leaders Yahya Sinwar, Ismail Haniyeh and Mohammed Deif.

The prosecutor dropped the application for Haniyeh on August 2 "because of the changed circumstances caused by Mr Haniyeh's death" in Tehran on July 31, the ICC said in a statement this month.

Haniyeh, a key figure in the ceasefire negotiations to end Israel's assault on Gaza, was assassinated by Israel during his visit to attend the inauguration of Iran's new president.

Israel claims Deif was killed by a strike on July 13 in southern Gaza, hough Hamas denies he is dead.

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

In August, Khan's office urged the court to take action "with utmost urgency", saying that it was "settled law that the court has jurisdiction in this situation".

Khan's charges against Netanyahu and Gallant include "starvation of civilians", "extermination", and "intentionally directing attacks against a civilian population".

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.

The ICJ has already ordered Israel to take "preliminary measures" to prevent acts of genocide in its war on Gaza, a directive that Israel has failed to follow.

Israel's relentless bombardment and ground invasion has killed at least 41,272 people in Gaza. The UN Human Rights office has confirmed most of the dead are women and children.

*This story was edited by Ahram Online.