On the left, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. On the right, International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Karim Khan. (Credit: AFP archive photos, illustration Céline Bejjani/L’Orient-Le Jour)
He wanted to revitalize the International Criminal Court (ICC) and put his own stamp on it. After issuing an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine in March 2023, Prosecutor Karim Khan took on the explosive Gaza dossier — at the risk of getting burned.On Nov. 21, 2024, the court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, all of whom are now dead.The unprecedented decision defied pressure from many countries and led to U.S. sanctions against the prosecutor this past February, following Donald Trump's return to the White House.It was the first time the ICC had targeted a strategic Western ally, sending shock waves across the West. Recent news in the region In maps: How Israel's 'Yellow Line' could...
He wanted to revitalize the International Criminal Court (ICC) and put his own stamp on it. After issuing an arrest warrant for Vladimir Putin for war crimes in Ukraine in March 2023, Prosecutor Karim Khan took on the explosive Gaza dossier — at the risk of getting burned.On Nov. 21, 2024, the court in The Hague issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, all of whom are now dead.The unprecedented decision defied pressure from many countries and led to U.S. sanctions against the prosecutor this past February, following Donald Trump's return to the White House.It was the first time the ICC had targeted a strategic Western ally, sending shock waves across the West. Recent news in the region In maps: How Israel's 'Yellow Line' could...