Qatar promised to ‘look after’ ICC prosecutor if he targeted Netanyahu – report

Israel blasts “corrupted” International Criminal Court and its “crooked” chief prosecutor Karim Kahn after witness says Qatar vowed to “look after” Kahn if he targeted Prime Minister Netanyahu.

By World Israel News Staff

A new witness statement alleges that Qatar promised to “look after” International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan if he moved ahead with arrest warrants against Israeli leaders, according to a Wall Street Journal report.

The allegation adds a new layer to the crisis surrounding Khan, who sought arrest warrants in November 2024 for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and then-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, alongside Hamas leaders.

Khan later took leave in May 2025 amid a sexual misconduct investigation.

While he has denied any wrongdoing, the ICC’s member states voted this month to move ahead with disciplinary proceedings after receiving reports related to the allegations.

According to the Journal, the new witness statement was submitted to the FBI and is known to several members of Congress. The newspaper said it reviewed the statement and supporting audio recordings.

In one recording cited by the Journal, a manager of a private intelligence operation described an alleged understanding involving Khan.

“That was basically the deal,” the manager reportedly said. “He was like, ‘I want to issue the warrant, but I’m terrified to do it.’ And they said, ‘If you do it, then we’ll look after you.’”

Asked whether the alleged support came from an individual Qatari figure or the state, the manager reportedly answered: “No, it’s the state.”

Khan’s lawyer denied the claim, saying Khan was not offered or given any promise by Qatar or any other state and “would not have sought or accepted” one.

The lawyer also said Khan “never had any discussions with any Qatari official prior to the warrants being issued.”

Qatar’s embassy rejected the allegations as “unfounded,” while the ICC Office of the Prosecutor said it was “deeply concerned by the unverified allegations against its personnel.”

The Israeli Foreign Ministry accused the ICC of corruption following the report.

“Buying off the ICC Prosecutor,” the ministry wrote on X. “Qatar launched an intelligence operation & promised to ‘look after’ Karim Khan over targeting Israel.”

“A crooked prosecutor. A corrupted court.”

The Journal report builds on earlier Guardian reporting that a Qatar-linked private intelligence operation targeted the woman who accused Khan of sexual abuse.

The Guardian reported that the operation sought information that could undermine her credibility and explored possible links to Israel, but found no evidence of an Israeli plot.

Highgate, one of the firms named in the reports, has said it worked on an ICC-related file but denied being hired by a government entity or targeting any individual. Elicius Intelligence did not respond to the Journal’s requests for comment.

The Journal said the private investigators also looked into Tom Lynch, the senior ICC official who first reported the assault allegation, and Sen. Lindsey Graham.

Lynch called the alleged conduct “disturbing” and said it “crosses all lines of acceptable conduct.”

A United Nations inquiry found a “factual basis” for the alleged victim’s claims and for allegations that Khan retaliated against ICC staff.