ICC Head Engaged by Qatar as They Contemplate Legal Measures Against Israel
In a significant move, Qatar's chief negotiator, Mohammed al-Khulaifi, has visited The Hague to pursue legal action against Israel following an unlawful strike during the Gaza war last year. The attack, which targeted Qatar-based leaders of the Palestinian militant group Hamas, resulted in deaths, with Hamas reporting five members killed and an officer of Qatar's internal security force among the casualties.
The Israeli strike also claimed the life of a prominent Hamas commander, Mohammed Deif. According to the territory's health ministry, the Gaza war resulted in the deaths of 1,219 people, most of them civilians.
The Israeli retaliatory campaign has been devastating, with at least 65,141 people killed, according to figures from the territory's health ministry. These figures are considered reliable by the United Nations.
The Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, is already facing charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity, as the International Criminal Court (ICC) launched a prosecution against him last year. The ICC prosecution includes charges of intentionally targeting civilians and using starvation as a method of war.
The ICC is also seeking the arrest of Israel's former defence minister Yoav Gallant in connection with the same case.
The meeting in The Hague was part of a larger effort by Qatar to explore legal avenues in response to the Israeli attack. The emirate, as an observer state at the ICC, cannot refer cases to the court directly.
The extraordinary Arab-Islamic summit in Doha, chaired by Qatar's Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani on September 15, 2025, issued a strong appeal for its members to take "all possible legal and effective measures to deter Israel from further actions." This followed emergency talks in Doha, where the Arab League and the Organization of Islamic Cooperation called on their members to take action against Israel.
The Israeli attack that triggered the Gaza war was a grave violation of international humanitarian law, according to the Qatari official who described it as such. The exact details of the attack are still under investigation by the ICC.
This move by Qatar marks a significant escalation in the region's response to Israel's actions, and it remains to be seen how the ICC will proceed with the case.
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