The French newspaper Le Monde revealed that the International Criminal Court has faced unprecedented pressures and threats over the past year, aimed at preventing the issuance or execution of arrest warrants against senior Israeli officials, led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant. The investigation clarified that these pressures included imposing sanctions on four judges and Prosecutor Karim Khan, amid political and intelligence maneuvers led by Washington, aimed at thwarting any attempt to hold Israel accountable for potential crimes in the Palestinian territories.

British lawyer Andrew Cayley, responsible for the Palestinian file at the court, stated that he experienced the worst months of his life, receiving direct threats that he was an "enemy of Israel," along with warnings not to cooperate with the court following Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. elections, which prompted him to resign and return to Britain out of fear of potential U.S. sanctions. Pressures on Prosecutor Karim Khan also increased after he announced in March 2024 his intention to bring charges against Netanyahu and Gallant for committing war crimes.

In response, Israel rallied its allies against the court, and Khan received an angry call from then British Foreign Secretary David Cameron, who threatened that Britain would withdraw from the Rome Statute if Khan continued his pursuit. According to the investigation, Western pressures continued through American and European officials, as Antony Blinken, Jake Sullivan, and several European officials contacted Khan to dissuade him from his decision, accusing him of undermining peace and threatening the lives of detained Israelis.

The United States attempted to activate the "complementarity" clause to enhance cooperation between Israel and national courts, but a Dutch report released in July 2024 indicated that the court had become a target for espionage and disruptive influence from several countries, particularly the United States and Israel. Khan's relationship with one of his American advisors also became strained, especially as suspicions grew regarding external influence on some advisors, leading to a deterioration of trust between him and his aides at a sensitive stage of the Palestinian case.

In May 2024, a meeting took place in The Hague between Karim Khan and Israeli lawyer Nicholas Kaufman, who suggested to Khan changing the classification of the arrest warrant for Netanyahu from "secret" to "top secret" to allow Israel to officially access it, urging him to withdraw the warrants, warning that continuing could lead to his personal destruction and the destruction of the court. Subsequently, The Wall Street Journal published a report accusing Khan of sexual assault against an employee, which he denied, but the court's president requested Khan to temporarily step down, leading to the suspension of his work.

His deputies took over the management of the Palestinian file, amid fears that the file would remain stagnant due to American pressures, and that investigations into Khan's conduct were referred to the United Nations, with results expected in September, and if his violations were confirmed, the issue of his dismissal could be put to a vote. Leaks indicate that the West is considering appointing a woman from a relatively weak country to take the position, aiming to maintain maneuvering room and prevent the issuance of additional arrest warrants against Israeli officials.