Nigeria, Oct. 18 -- The International Criminal Court (ICC) has rejected Israel's request for leave to appeal a July decision that upheld the validity of arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories.

In a decision released by ICC Pre-Trial Chamber, the judges ruled that Israel's request did not meet the legal requirements under Article 82(1)(d) of the Rome Statute, which allows a party to appeal a decision only if the issue significantly affects the fairness or outcome of the proceedings and if its immediate resolution would materially advance the case.

Israel had sought permission to appeal the chamber's 16 July decision...