Democracy Dies in Darkness

The ICC’s battle with Israel is a test of the international order

International Criminal Court prosecutor Karim Khan’s decision to seek arrest warrants for Israeli and Hamas leaders has ignited debate about international law.

Analysis by
Columnist
May 22, 2024 at 12:00 a.m. EDT
6 min

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From the moment the news broke, the wagons were circled. Israeli officials and their allies in Washington expressed outrage over the decision by Karim Khan, chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, to apply for warrants for the arrest of three key leaders of militant group Hamas, as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in their conduct of the ongoing battles over Gaza.