ALBAWABA - International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan said that he was under pressure from global leaders not to issue arrest warrants for Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Speaking to the BBC, Khan said he faced a lot of resistance when he asked for the arrest warrants, but he remained firm in his decision, stressing that it was backed up by a lot of evidence.
Khan emphasized that by continuously upholding the law, the ICC must show its dedication to justice. He said that in order to maintain the impression that the law is applied evenly and does not favor strong countries like those supported by NATO or European partners, arrest warrants should be sought for both Israeli authorities and Hamas leaders.
He also said that several world leaders made suggestions and threats to discourage him from taking the issue further. Khan will not, however, provide particular individuals or nations that were a part of the pressure effort.
Khan also praised the UK's newly elected Labour administration for reversing its objection to his application for an arrest warrant for Netanyahu. He pointed out that the new administration's perspective on international law had clearly changed.
Citing reliable evidence connecting Netanyahu and Gallant to war crimes and crimes against humanity perpetrated in Gaza since October 8, 2023, Khan formally requested arrest warrants for both men in May.
