Hostage Families Sue ICC Prosecutor, Accusing Him of Aiding Hamas

Families of Israeli hostages Avinatan Or, Eitan Mor, and Omri Miran have filed a lawsuit against Karim Khan, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. They are demanding an investigation into his actions, alleging he aided Hamas and seeking to hold him accountable.

The lawsuit, filed through attorney Nitzana Darshan-Leitner of the Shurat HaDin organization, claims Khan's conduct has allowed senior figures in terror organizations to continue operating without facing legal action. Specifically, the families point to Khan's failure to seek arrest warrants against leaders of Islamic Jihad and other Hamas officials they believe are responsible for holding the hostages. Some of these individuals, the suit alleges, are located outside the Gaza Strip and are engaged in negotiations with Israel.

Additionally, the lawsuit challenges the timing and basis for Khan's decision to request arrest warrants against Hamas leaders Mohammed Deif, Yahya Sinwar, and Ismail Haniyeh. The families contend that Khan delayed for eight months before submitting the request and controversially linked it to warrants sought against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. They argue this created an "unacceptable moral equivalence" between Israel and the terror group.

The lawsuit also raises questions about Khan's motives, alleging he acted for extraneous reasons, including an attempt to evade a complaint regarding alleged sexual offenses he committed against a subordinate. "The ICC has become a branch of Hamas," stated Darshan-Leitner. "His actions have given immense encouragement to the terrorists. Khan's goal is to prevent Israel from achieving its war aims, the destruction of Hamas and the release of hostages, by portraying it as a criminal state."

Darshan-Leitner further accused Khan of cynically exploiting the plight of the hostages and their families to evade justice for his alleged sexual offenses.