This has been the darkest year for the International Criminal Court (ICC) since it opened its doors in The Hague in 2002. Never before had the institution faced such strong headwinds. The US imposed sanctions on four judges and the chief prosecutor, the British national Karim Khan, while threats, intrigue, and pressure from Washington mounted on state parties. The objective: to annul and prevent any arrest warrants against Israelis, including those targeting Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant, issued on November 21, 2024, and to close the ongoing investigation into crimes committed on Palestinian territory.
“It was the worst few months of my life,” British lawyer Andrew Cayley told Le Monde. The sexagenarian had served at the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and in the Cambodian Extraordinary Chambers judging Khmer Rouge leaders. Now, he is in charge of overseeing case ICC-01/18 alongside Brenda Hollis, an American former US Air Force member. The case covers crimes committed by Israelis in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, as well as those perpetrated by Hamas, including hostage-taking, on October 7, 2023, in southern Israel. It is the most sensitive case before the ICC.
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