Netanyahu says Rubio told him US 'determined to act forcefully' against ICC after Khan's removal

Netanyahu says Rubio told him US 'determined to act forcefully' against ICC after Khan's removal

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Sun, 07/26/2026 - 15:20

Israel's prime minister welcomes ICC's ouster of Prosecutor Karim Khan as a 'very positive development', as the US urges countries to withdraw from the Rome Statute and dismantle the Hague-based tribunal

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu speaks during a ceremony at the site of the planned Atarot Heritage Center in East Jerusalem, 5 July 2026 (Ilia Yefimovich/AFP)

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Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday welcomed the removal of International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan, accusing him of political bias.

"I welcome the decision, supported by an overwhelming majority of countries, to remove Karim Khan, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court," Netanyahu wrote on X.

"This is a very positive development," he said.

The Israeli leader claimed Khan's removal "exposes the truth", alleging that the former prosecutor sought arrest warrants against him and former defence minister Yoav Gallant to "divert attention" from misconduct allegations against himself.

"That shield has now been torn away," Netanyahu said.

"What has been exposed is not only Karim Khan's true motivation, but also the profound injustice and corruption that have infected both the Office of the Prosecutor and the International Criminal Court itself."

Netanyahu also said he had spoken with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, who he said had reaffirmed Washington's determination to confront the court.

"Last night, I spoke with US Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He once again reaffirmed America's determination to act forcefully against this institution," Netanyahu wrote.

He described the ICC as "an institution that undermines justice, attacks democratic and sovereign nations, and seeks to subordinate their security to the decisions of unaccountable and corrupt officials in The Hague".

The development comes after ICC member states voted on Friday to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct claims. 

ICC member states remove prosecutor Karim Khan by majority vote

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After the vote, Venezuelan foreign minister Felix Plasencia announced that his government had informed the UN of its "irrevocable" decision to quit the court, citing the body's "geographical bias" against countries in the global south.

The move signals a greater alignment by Venezuela with US policies, a week after Rubio vowed “a whole-of-government response to systematically disable” the tribunal.

On Sunday, the US welcomed the new Venezuelan government's decisions to withdraw from the ICC.

In a post on X, the US State Department hailed the move as marking a "partnership on American-led efforts to dismantle the corrupt and worthless ICC".

The Trump administration has repeatedly sought to undermine the international court, levelling sanctions against prosecutors involved in investigating the actions of US and Israeli militaries.

In an executive order signed last year, Trump wrote that the ICC "has engaged in illegitimate and baseless actions targeting America and our close ally Israel", citing the arrest warrants issued in November for Netanyahu and Gallant.

ICC arrest warrants

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