INVESTIGATION: MOSSAD CHIEF THREATENED ICC PROSECUTOR

Mossad’s former director, Yossi Cohen, threatened Fatou Bensouda, former International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor, over a probe into war crimes, according to an investigation pursued by three publications: The Guardian, Israeli-Palestinian publication +972 Magazine and Local Call, a Hebrew-language outlet.

The intimidation campaign against Bensouda, a lawyer and Gambian High Commissioner (or official representative) to the United Kingdom since 2022, began when she announced in 2021 that the court would open investigations into possible Israeli war crimes in occupied Palestinian territories.

The ICC initially delayed its investigation over deliberations about its jurisdiction regarding the Palestinian territories. Once it cleared that hurdle, the probe went ahead despite Israeli opposition. It culminated on 20 May when the ICC announced it had filed applications for arrest warrants for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over possible war crimes in the Gaza Strip since 8 October.

Cohen, a close ally of Netanyahu, allegedly told Bensouda, ‘You don’t want to be getting into things that could compromise your security or that of your family.’ On a separate occasion, Cohen allegedly told the prosecutor that proceeding with the investigation would severely damage her career.