Netherlands foreign ministry summons Israeli ambassador over ICC harassment

The Netherlands’ foreign ministry has summoned Israel’s ambassador to the country and called on him to explain alleged spying and surveillance against officials of the International Criminal Court (ICC).

Dutch officials asked to meet Ambassador Modi Ephraim after an investigation by The Guardian found that Israel had tried to harass, intimidate, and undermine staff from the ICC over a period spanning nine years.

The ICC is headquartered in the Dutch city of The Hague and Netherlands authorities must provide safety and security to the court’s staff under an agreement, ensuring that the ICC is "free from interference of any kind".

The meeting was highlighted by the Dutch government after MPs raised questions about The Guardian investigation, which was conducted with +972 Magazine and Local Call.

Last week, Dutch MP Kati Piri challenged her government about the extent of its knowledge of Israel’s harassment of court officials.

This included threats from the former head of Israel’s Mossad intelligence agency, Yossi Cohen, to former ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda after she opened an investigation in 2015 into potential Israeli war crimes.

The ICC’s current chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant, as well as three Hamas leaders, over their actions in the current Gaza War and the 7 October surprise Hamas attack on Israel.

Israel and its ally the US have loudly condemned the warrants against Netanyahu and Gallant.