International Criminal Court judges have reportedly forbidden prosecutor Karim Khan from publicly disclosing any new applications for arrest warrants in his case against Israel, in a move apparently aimed at lowering pressure on the war crimes tribunal.

The secret order bars Khan from publicly announcing applications to the court for arrest warrants or his intention to seek them, as he looks to level fresh war crimes charges against Israelis, UK newspaper The Guardian reported Monday.

According to the report, judges have bristled at Khan for announcing plans last year to seek arrest warrants — later granted — for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant over suspected war crimes in Gaza, complaining that publicity generated around the disclosures has generated undue pressure on the court.

Khan is preparing to apply for warrants for additional Israeli suspects in connection with alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in the West Bank and Gaza, sources familiar with the situation told The Guardian.

Khan’s announcement in May 2024 that he was seeking charges against Netanyahu and Gallant, and the court’s issuance of arrest warrants for the pair in November, sparked a flurry of accusations and condemnations from Israel and its allies.

Netanyahu’s office reacted in November by portraying the warrants as “antisemitic” and “equivalent to a modern Dreyfus trial.”

In February, the US placed........

© The Times of Israel