ICC judges secretly ban publicizing arrest warrants for Israelis

The judges reportedly fear internal backlash over arrest warrants linked to the Gaza war.

By Batya Jerenberg, World Israel News

The judges of the International Criminal Court (ICC) have secretly banned their chief prosecutor from publicizing arrest requests and warrants regarding the Israel-Hamas war, The Guardian reported Monday.

Court officials “with knowledge of internal discussions,” according to the British outlet, said that “the publicity generated by [Karim] Khan’s statements has frustrated ICC judges and staff within the prosecutor’s office due to concerns his actions have departed from routine practice and placed pressure on the judges considering the applications.”

The order said that Khan may not publicize any future applications for arrest warrants unless he receives the court’s permission to do so.

According to The Guardian, a new round of warrants targeting Israelis is currently being organized – this time for alleged IDF misdeeds in Judea and Samaria, where the army is cracking down on Palestinian terrorists actively planning and attempting to carry out attacks against Israelis.

A political storm had erupted when Khan announced last May that he was looking to arrest Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-defense minister Yoav Gallant for alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes committed in Gaza.

Khan tried to portray an even-handed investigation by issuing warrants on similar charges for the three highest-ranking Hamas terrorists as well, but they were all deceased, having already been assassinated by IDF forces.

Israeli leaders and Jewish groups from across the political spectrum denounced his move, saying they were based on lies told by Hamas and its supporters. They noted that the IDF could prove that it had tried to protect civilians in the Gaza Strip.

Israel also formally challenged the warrants’ viability, considering that the ICC has no jurisdiction because Jerusalem is not a signatory to the Rome Statute that established the court.

While then-U.S. president Joe Biden and other Israeli allies also condemned the warrants, saying they would not comply with them, President Donald Trump went further in February, putting Khan on the Specially Designated Nationals and Blocked Persons List so that he cannot enter the U.S. or access his American assets.

ICC requests for arrest warrants were handled in a much quieter manner by Khan’s predecessor,  Fatou Bensouda, who announced the issuance of warrants only after they were approved by the court.

The ICC approved the arrest warrants for Netanyahu and Gantz in November.