Israel-linked ICC lawyer warned chief prosecutor to drop war crimes probe or be ‘destroyed'
An International Criminal Court (ICC) lawyer linked to an advisor to Benjamin Netanyahu threatened the chief ICC prosecutor Karim Asad Ahmad Khan, that if he did not withdraw the arrest warrants for the Israeli prime minister and former minister Yoav Gallant, he and the ICC would be “destroyed.”
The warning was delivered to Khan during a private meeting in The Hague on May 1, 2024, by Nicholas Kaufman, a British-Israeli lawyer who currently defends former Philippines president Rodrigo Duterte at the ICC.
According to an internal note seen by the Middle East Eye, Kaufman told Khan he had spoken to Netanyahu’s legal adviser and had been “authorized” to propose a confidential solution to assist Khan to “climb down the tree,” meaning to discreetly remove himself from the case.
Kaufman advised Khan to reclassify the case files as confidential so that Israel could respond to the allegations in private, rather than through public proceedings.
But he also warned Khan that if he pursues further charges, such as for far-right Israeli ministers, Itamar Ben-Gvir, and Bezalel Smotrich, “all options would be off the table” and “They will destroy you and they will destroy the court.”
Khan and his wife, Shyamala Alagendra, who was present at the meeting, considered the words as a direct threat.
Kaufman denied issuing any threat and claimed he was acting on his own initiative, and not on behalf of Netanyahu’s cabinet.
The case in question concerns the ICC’s investigation into war crimes committed during Israel’s ongoing campaign of genocide against Gaza.
On May 20, 2024, Khan formally applied for arrest warrants against Gallant and Netanyahu for crimes against humanity, including the starvation of civilians and the targeting of protected populations. Six months later, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Gallant and Netanyahu.
This attempt at intimidation is not an isolated incident. It follows a pattern of political interference, pressure, and threats aimed at protecting Israel from international accountability.
In February, the US imposed personal sanctions on Khan, revoked his visa, and froze his assets. His family has also been barred from entering the US. In June, four ICC judges who approved the arrest warrants were also sanctioned by the US.
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