Josep Borrell, the European Union (EU) Foreign Policy Chief, stated on Friday that Israel and several European countries are attempting to intimidate judges at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
This comes after the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Karim Khan, requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
Borrell emphasized that the Prosecutor has done nothing more than make accusations, and the court will decide on the matter.
Furthermore, Borrell urged all parties, including the Israeli government and various European governments, to refrain from threatening the judges or attempting to influence their decisions.
Prosecutor Karim Khan revealed earlier that he had been threatened following his request for arrest warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.
Khan recounted discussions with some politicians who were quite explicit, stating, “This court was built for Africa, for tyrants like (Russian President Vladimir) Putin; that’s what one senior politician told me.”
Despite the pressures, Khan remained resolute, saying, “Threats or any other activities will not deter us because ultimately, we must fulfil our responsibilities as prosecutors, as men and women in the office, as judges, and as registrars to something greater than ourselves, which is the fidelity to justice.”
“We will not be swayed by different kinds of threats, some of which are public and others perhaps not.”
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled on Friday Israel must halt its military offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza.
The UN’s top court also affirmed that the Rafah border crossing with Egypt must be opened for the entry of humanitarian aid “at scale”
South Africa appealed to the ICJ to order a cessation of the Israeli military’s entire operation in Gaza, particularly in Rafah, arguing that the military campaign makes life in the region untenable and therefore constitutes a violation of the 1948 Genocide Convention.
