ICC Prosecutor Ordered to Pay Millions to Israeli Hostage Families

The Jerusalem District Court has ordered Karim Khan, the former Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, to pay 25 million shekels (approximately $6.7 million USD) in damages to Eitan Mor and the families of Avinatan Or and Omri Miran. The three Israelis were abducted by Hamas. The ruling was issued by Judge Eran Shila in absentia after Khan failed to submit a defense statement despite being duly served with the lawsuit.

The lawsuit was filed in August 2025, while Mor, Or, and Miran were still held captive in Gaza. They were released about two months after the suit was filed. The core of the claim was that Khan's conduct in his role at the ICC contributed to the continued detention of the hostages.

The families alleged that Khan refrained from taking legal action against Hamas and Islamic Jihad officials who they claim were responsible for holding the hostages. The lawsuit stated that Khan waited eight months before seeking arrest warrants for three senior Hamas figures: Mohamed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Ismail Haniyeh. It also claimed he linked these requests to arrest warrant requests against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

Plaintiffs argued that Khan avoided seeking arrest warrants against other senior Hamas officials and Islamic Jihad leaders, including those outside Gaza involved in negotiations with Israel. The families contend that his inaction allowed the terror organizations to continue holding the hostages. The lawsuit also asserted that Khan created an "improper moral equivalence" between Israel and terror groups and that his decisions were influenced by foreign motives.

The court's decision was made without Khan filing a defense against the allegations. Therefore, the financial penalty was imposed in absentia, not following a full examination of the claims from both sides.