Report unveils Israel’s ‘9-year war’ with ICC

ISTANBUL

Israel has allegedly conducted a nearly decade-long campaign to obstruct the International Criminal Court (ICC) from issuing arrest warrants against its leaders, according to the Guardian.

The extensive efforts by Israeli authorities included significant intelligence and diplomatic measures to uncover the court’s plans, the British daily said in its report. They also tried to thwart the ICC through various channels and tactics, including espionage and threats.

A specific element of this campaign was reported on May 28, detailing then-Mossad chief Yossi Cohen’s alleged use of "threats and intimidation" to deter then-ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda from initiating a war crimes investigation into Israel.

In a follow-up investigation by the Guardian, along with +972 Magazine and Local Call, it was revealed that this was part of a nine-year endeavor to dissuade Bensouda and her successor Karim Khan from prosecuting Israeli leaders.

This effort began in 2015 and continued until recently. The investigation cited over two dozen sources, including current and former Israeli intelligence officers, government officials, ICC figures, diplomats and lawyers. The report indicated that, alongside Mossad, the Shin Bet security service and the IDF’s Military Intelligence Directorate, including its Unit 8200, were involved in intelligence-gathering operations.

Israel also barred ICC staff from accessing the West Bank and Gaza and intercepted their communications with Palestinians, though it did not directly tap the ICC officials' devices.

One former Israeli intelligence official was quoted as alleging that the “entire military and political establishment” viewed this “as a war that had to be waged, and one that Israel needed to be defended against. It was described in military terms.”

Last week, Khan requested the court to issue arrest warrants for top Israeli and Hamas leaders, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.