Parties to the International Criminal Court on Friday elected Britain's Karim Khan as the new prosecutor for a nine-year term starting June 16.
Khan won a secret ballot, beating out three other candidates to replace lead prosecutor Fatou Bensouda. The 123-member Hague-based court, which began work nearly 20 years ago, handles war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and crimes of aggression.
Khan will decide whether to open an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip - an investigation that is of great concern to Israel and could lead to arrest warrants against senior officials.
The Jewish state preferred Khan among the four candidates who were on the ballot of the representatives of the 123 member states in the court.
Officials said he was considered pragmatic and that he opposed the "politicization" of the court.