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Srael has filed an appeal with the International Criminal Court requesting the removal of Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan from cases involving Israeli officials and the cancellation of arrest warrants issued against Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The appeal, reported in Israeli media, comes as Khan faces sexual misconduct allegations. Tel Aviv is demanding that Khan no longer participate in any cases related to Israel and that the court rescind the arrest warrants issued for war crimes and crimes against humanity in the Gaza Strip.
Israel's Foreign Ministry said the appeal was filed "due to significant information and reports that raise serious concerns that the prosecutor acted for illegitimate personal reasons to advance baseless and unfounded allegations against Israel."
The ICC issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant on November 21, 2024, over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israel in the Gaza Strip. The warrants marked a significant moment for the international court, which has jurisdiction over war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide, and the crime of aggression.
Khan, in an interview with BBC last year, revealed he had faced pressure from world leaders not to issue arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant. "Many leaders and others told me, advised me and warned me," he said.
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Reports indicate Khan became a target of political pressure, intelligence threats, and sexual misconduct allegations during his war crimes investigation into Netanyahu and other senior Israeli officials.
The pressure on Khan reportedly intensified beginning in April 2024, when he was preparing to issue arrest warrants over Israel's military operations in Gaza and settlement activities in the occupied West Bank.
The ICC operates independently of the United Nations and has 124 member states, though Israel and the United States are not parties to the Rome Statute that established the court.
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