Dutch MPs Demand Inquiry into Alleged Israeli Spying on ICC Lawyers

Dutch parliamentarians are urging the government to hold Israel accountable for allegedly spying on and intimidating lawyers at the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague. Calls for an independent investigation follow a report by the Guardian and Israeli magazines +972 and Local Call, which revealed that Israeli intelligence agencies surveilled, hacked, pressured, smeared, and allegedly threatened senior ICC staff to disrupt investigations.

Despite these efforts, the ICC prosecutor’s office has requested arrest warrants this month for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders for alleged war crimes.

Dutch MPs from the liberal-progressive D66 and Green-Labour alliance have condemned the reported activities, citing the Guardian’s investigation. Kati Piri, an MP from the Green-Labour alliance, submitted questions to Dutch ministers, emphasizing the Netherlands' responsibility to protect ICC employees and witnesses. She called the actions a serious breach of the Rome Statute's Article 70.

Piri stressed the importance of the Netherlands' role as host country of the ICC and highlighted past strong responses to espionage, such as the expulsion of Russian embassy employees involved in spying at the OPCW in 2018. She expects the Dutch government to take a similarly firm stand against the alleged Israeli actions.

Jan Paternotte, D66’s foreign affairs spokesperson, also called for an independent investigation, labeling the alleged intimidation as a severe attack on the international legal order. The Dutch ministries have two weeks to respond to the formal questions.