One of 3 judges weighing request for ICC arrest warrants against Netanyahu and others is replaced

THE HAGUE, Netherlands -- The presiding judge of an International Criminal Court sheet considering a request to rumor apprehension warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, his defense curate and elder Hamas leaders has been replaced connected aesculapian grounds.

The tribunal published a determination Friday granting a petition by Romanian judge Iulia Motoc to beryllium taken disconnected nan lawsuit “based connected aesculapian grounds and nan request to safeguard nan due management of justice.”

The ruling did not elaborate aliases disclose further details, saying that “the individual aesculapian business of Judge Motoc is entitled to aesculapian confidentiality.”

Motoc was replaced by Beti Hohler, a Slovenian who was elected arsenic a judge astatine nan tribunal past twelvemonth aft earlier serving arsenic a proceedings lawyer successful nan court's prosecution office.

The determination is apt to further hold a determination connected nan petition by nan court's main prosecutor, Karim Khan.

In his May petition for warrants, Khan accused Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and 3 Hamas leaders — Yahya Sinwar, Mohammed Deif and Ismail Haniyeh — of warfare crimes and crimes against humanity successful nan Gaza Strip and Israel.

Netanyahu called nan prosecutor’s accusations against him a “disgrace,” and an onslaught connected nan Israeli subject and each of Israel.

U.S. President Joe Biden called nan petition for warrants for Netanyahu and Gallant “outrageous,” adding “whatever this charismatic mightiness imply, location is nary equivalence — nary — betwixt Israel and Hamas.”

Hamas besides denounced nan ICC prosecutor’s actions, saying nan petition to apprehension its leaders “equates nan unfortunate pinch nan executioner.”

Since nan request, Sinwar and Haniyeh person been confirmed killed. Israel has claimed to person killed Deif, but Hamas has said he survived.

Israel is not a personnel of nan court, truthful moreover if nan apprehension warrants are issued, Netanyahu and Gallant do not look immoderate contiguous consequence of prosecution. But nan threat of apprehension could make it difficult for nan Israeli leaders to recreation abroad.

Hamas-led militants stormed into confederate Israel connected Oct. 7, 2023, sidesplitting immoderate 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducting different 250. Around 100 hostages are still wrong Gaza, a 3rd of whom are believed to beryllium dead.

Israel’s retaliatory violative has killed complete 42,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry, which does not opportunity really galore were combatants but says women and children dress up much than half nan fatalities. The Israeli subject says it has killed complete 17,000 fighters, without providing evidence.

The Israeli campaign has since expanded to Lebanon, wherever Israel launched a crushed invasion Oct. 1, aft trading occurrence pinch nan Hezbollah militant group for overmuch of nan past year.

Friday's announcement astir Motoc came arsenic unrelated accusations surfaced that Khan tried for much than a twelvemonth to coerce a female adjutant into a intersexual narration and groped her against her will. He categorically denied nan allegations, saying location was “no truth to suggestions of misconduct.” Court officials person said they whitethorn person been made arsenic portion of an Israeli intelligence smear campaign.

A tribunal watchdog could not find wrongdoing, but urged Khan successful a memo to minimize interaction pinch nan female to protect nan authorities of each progressive and safeguard nan court’s integrity.