Testimony cited in a Wall Street Journal editorial raises suspicions that Qatar allegedly promised to “take care of” International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor Karim Khan if he advanced an arrest warrant against Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to the report, the claims are based on an affidavit submitted to the FBI, supported by audio recordings. The affidavit was provided by a person familiar with a private intelligence operation linked to the case, who requested anonymity. It has been shared with several members of the U.S. Congress.
Karim Khan announcing an arrest warrant against Netanyahu and Gallant
(Video: ICC)
Khan did move forward with seeking arrest warrants against Netanyahu in November 2024, shortly after a subordinate accused him of sexual assault. Khan has denied the allegations. He took leave about a year ago, and this month the ICC’s governing body determined that disciplinary proceedings against him should be advanced.
The affidavit alleges that the Qatari government offered to “take care of” Khan if he acted against Netanyahu. In recordings cited by the Journal, a manager of the intelligence operation is heard saying: “It was all in the context of issuing the warrant. That was essentially the deal.” He added that Khan had expressed fear about proceeding, and was told: “If you do it, we will take care of you.” The manager said the support came from “the state,” not an individual.
The claims emerge alongside earlier reporting by The Guardian about a private intelligence operation with alleged links to Qatar, conducted by at least two firms, Highgate and Elicius Intelligence, aimed at discrediting the woman who accused Khan.
According to the affidavit, the operation also targeted two Americans: Thomas Lynch, a senior ICC official who first reported the assault allegation, and U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham. Sources told the Journal that some ICC officials who became targets were later interviewed by the Netherlands’ counterterrorism agency.
Recordings reviewed by the newspaper include investigators referring to Qatar as the “client state” and instructing colleagues to use coded language such as “State Q.” Two sources familiar with the operation confirmed Qatar was the client.
'Mossad believed Khan was a Qatari agent'
The affidavit also states that a source linked to Elicius claimed—without providing evidence—that Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency believed Khan to be a Qatari agent. This led members of the private intelligence team to discuss the possibility. In one recording, the operation’s manager says he spoke with “the client” about the claim and that they were “not surprised” by suggestions that Qatar was supporting Khan.
“Not long they’ve been wrapping him in their arms,” the manager says in the recording. “Everything is in the context of the warrant.”
The recordings further show investigators speculating about possible links between Khan’s accuser—a Malaysian Muslim lawyer at the ICC—and Israel or Jewish individuals. In one exchange, an investigator notes: “The complainant didn’t have a Jewish grandmother.” Others discussed the possibility she held a secret Israeli passport, a theory later included in internal tasking documents reviewed by the Journal.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu meeting US Senator Lindsey Graham
(Photo: Maayan Toaf/GPO)
According to The Guardian, investigators also attempted to access the woman’s private travel history, her child’s birth certificate, and even some of her online passwords. Highgate denied seeking such information.
In another recording, investigators speculate about the woman’s husband, suggesting that past employment connected to a company with a kosher food subsidiary might indicate a cover for intelligence activity. These theories did not produce evidence, and investigators also considered whether the complainant may have been manipulated by others.
Tasking documents instructed investigators to examine “any connection between Thomas Lynch and Israel/Jewish heritage.” A dossier on Lynch, including family photos, was circulated. Another document suggested—without substantiation—that Lynch had developed “close ties” with Senator Graham and might serve as a conduit to pro-Israel political networks in Washington.
Lynch rejected the claims, calling them “disturbing” and beyond acceptable conduct.
Sources familiar with the operation said all efforts to find evidence linking the complainant to an Israeli plot failed. The woman, for her part, has alleged that Khan himself pressured her to withdraw her complaint, telling her to “think about the Palestinian arrest warrants.”
She testified to U.N. investigators that Khan summoned her to a hotel suite in New York and forced her into sexual relations on multiple occasions. Khan denies any misconduct.
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Qatari Emir Tamim bin Hamad Al-Thani meets with US President Trump at Air Force One
(Photo: REUTERS/Evelyn Hockstein)
'Absurd if Khan can continue to lead the court'
A U.N. investigation found a “reasonable basis” for the allegations and said witness testimony supported her account. However, a panel of judges later concluded the evidence would not meet the criminal standard of proof “beyond a reasonable doubt,” though it did not definitively refute the claims.
Earlier this month, the ICC’s governing body issued a preliminary finding that Khan may have engaged in misconduct and said disciplinary proceedings should proceed. A source familiar with the court said many member states believe it would be “absurd” for Khan to continue leading the ICC given the findings.
Khan’s lawyer rejected the allegations reported by the Journal, saying neither Khan nor his team had any involvement in such an intelligence operation and that no state, including Qatar, had offered or provided any assurances. “He would not have sought or accepted any such ‘promise,’” the lawyer said, adding that Khan had no discussions with Qatari officials prior to seeking the warrants.
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Netanyahu during the State Memorial Ceremony for the on Mount Herzl
(Photo: Ilia Yefimovich/Pool via REUTERS)
Qatar’s embassy reiterated a previous statement calling the allegations “baseless.” The ICC prosecutor’s office said it is “deeply concerned about unverified allegations” against its staff.
The Wall Street Journal editorial said the claims require investigation, noting it remains unclear what the alleged Qatari promise to “take care of” Khan would entail if proven true.
Khan’s announcement that he intended to seek arrest warrants against Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, made in a media interview, disrupted the court’s planned investigative timeline and surprised officials within the ICC.
The Wall Street Journal editorial also criticized the broader legal move, arguing that pursuing charges against Netanyahu and Gallant over the war with Hamas placed Israeli leaders alongside Hamas officials. It said that by seeking warrants against both sides, Khan effectively embraced a comparison that post-World War II tribunals rejected — equating leaders of a defending democracy with those of an attacking force.