Dutch Foreign Ministry asks Israeli ambassador to 'report' over ICC spying claims

By Beyza Binnur Donmez

GENEVA (AA) - The Dutch Foreign Ministry summoned the Israeli ambassador to the Netherlands on Wednesday to ask him to provide an explanation following allegations that Israeli spy services carried out a secret surveillance and espionage campaign against the International Criminal Court (ICC).

"The Israeli ambassador has been asked to report to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in connection with the allegations in the articles in The Guardian and +972 Magazine," the ministry said in a statement.

The remarks came in a written statement co-signed by Foreign Minister Hanke Bruins Slot, Interior and Kingdom Relations Minister Hugo de Jonge and Justice and Security Minister Dilan Yesilgoz-Zegerius.

"The government regards such activities as a form of undesirable foreign interference and considers it totally undesirable," the statement said, noting that there is ongoing contact with the ICC on "various security concerns."

However, the ministry did not elaborate on the details of such discussions due to security reasons.

The statement also underlined that the Netherlands, as the host state of the ICC, is obliged under an agreement with the court to protect the safety and security of court staff and must ensure it is "free from interference of any kind."

In early June, Dutch lawmakers called for a probe into allegations of espionage and intimidation by Israel to obstruct ICC investigations into Israeli officials.

A written question submitted by House of Representatives member Kati Piri urged ministers to investigate the alleged activities. Piri is a member of the Green Left-Labor Party alliance led by former European Commission Vice President Frans Timmermans.

The efforts are reportedly aimed at disrupting investigations into war crimes committed in Palestinian territories.

On May 20, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan requested arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and three Palestinian officials, citing reasonable grounds to believe they bear criminal responsibility for war crimes and crimes against humanity.