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Former ICC prosecutor says she faced pressure and threats over Palestine investigation
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Former ICC’s Chief Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda [Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung/Flickr]
Former chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, said she was pressured and threatened in connection with investigations related to Palestine, including direct contacts from former Mossad chief Yossi Cohen.
In an interview with Al Jazeera, Bensouda said Cohen met her twice — in Munich and New York City — and explicitly requested that she halt investigations concerning Palestine.
She described the request as direct interference in the work of the court.
According to Bensouda, the pressure later escalated into indirect threats targeting members of her family. She said her husband was followed and information was gathered about him in what she believed was an attempt to influence her decisions.
Bensouda stated that she informed Dutch authorities about the threats but did not receive what she considered adequate protection.
READ: Ben-Gvir criticises ICC and vows further escalation
She also said that member states of the ICC did not provide sufficient political backing in the face of Israeli pressure related to the Palestine investigations.
The former prosecutor stressed that the court must continue its work independently despite political pressure, arguing that international justice should not be subordinated to political interests.
The comments come amid ongoing controversy surrounding ICC investigations into the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The ICC previously issued arrest warrants for Benjamin Netanyahu and former Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant over allegations related to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
READ: ICC chief prosecutor says he is ‘exonerated’ in alleged misconduct probe
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
27 May 2026
Lapid attacks emerging Iran agreement and accuses Netanyahu government of repeated failures
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid speaks at the Knesset, Israel’s parliament, on October 13, 2025 in Jerusalem. [Photo by Evelyn Hockstein – Pool/Getty Images]
Israeli opposition leader Yair Lapid sharply criticised the emerging agreement between the United States and Iran, describing it as “a disaster” and accusing Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government of failing across multiple regional conflicts.
Speaking at a press conference in the Knesset in Jerusalem, Lapid said: “The agreement reached with Iran is a disaster. The political management of the entire event was extremely poor, and everything that should not have happened has happened.”
He added that, from Israel’s perspective, the most serious issue was that “this agreement was written in our absence from the negotiating table.”
Lapid’s comments followed reports by Axios citing US officials who said Washington and Tehran were close to an agreement that could include reopening the Strait of Hormuz, allowing Iran to resume oil exports and restarting negotiations over Tehran’s nuclear programme.
READ: Trump links Iran negotiations to expansion of Abraham Accords
US President Donald Trump had earlier announced that negotiations on most terms of a possible agreement had been completed and that details would soon be revealed.
According to reports, Pakistan has been mediating between Washington and Tehran following the conflict that began on 28 February with US and Israeli attacks on Iran before a temporary ceasefire was reached in April. a
Lapid also launched a broader attack on Netanyahu’s leadership, saying: “Time and again, Netanyahu’s government sets goals and fails to achieve them. It failed in the war on Gaza, in Lebanon, and in Iran.”
He described Netanyahu as “a talented man, but old and exhausted,” adding that the prime minister is surrounded by people “not qualified to run a country.”
Lapid argued that the failures belonged to the government rather than the state itself, saying: “It wasn’t the State of Israel that failed in Iran, Lebanon and Gaza; it was the government.”
READ: Saudi source says normalisation with Israel still tied to Palestinian statehood
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
27 May 2026
Saudi source says normalisation with Israel still tied to Palestinian statehood
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Flags of Israel and Saudi Arabia
CNN reported, citing a Saudi source, that Saudi Arabia will not normalize relations with Israel unless there is what the source described as a “clear and irreversible path” toward establishing a Palestinian state.
The reported Saudi position came after US President Donald Trump stated that countries in the Middle East would be expected to recognize Israel once a broader agreement with Iran is reached.
According to the source cited by CNN, Saudi Arabia continues to maintain its longstanding position that normalization must be linked to credible progress toward Palestinian statehood.
Trump had earlier written on social media that he expected Middle Eastern countries and others to join the Abraham Accords after a deal ending the conflict with Iran is finalized.
READ: Qatar denies reports of $12bn offer to Iran to secure US deal
He also warned that if negotiations fail, military action could follow on a scale “bigger and more powerful than ever before.”
The report noted that Trump had previously asked Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman during a meeting last November to join the Abraham Accords.
According to the account cited by CNN, Mohammed bin Salman responded that Saudi Arabia wants to be part of the accords but insists on a clearly defined path toward a two-state solution.
The crown prince reportedly described his discussions with Trump on the issue as “constructive” and said Riyadh would work toward creating the conditions necessary to achieve that objective.
READ: Trump links Iran negotiations to expansion of Abraham Accords
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
27 May 2026
Trump links Iran negotiations to expansion of Abraham Accords
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
(L-R)Bahrain Foreign Minister Abdullatif al-Zayani, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, US President Donald Trump, and UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah bin Zayed Al-Nahyan hold up documents after participating in the signing of the Abraham Accords where the countries of Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates recognise Israel, at the White House in Washington, DC, September 15, 2020 [SAUL LOEB/AFP via Getty Images]
US President Donald Trump reportedly demanded that several Arab and Islamic countries join the Abraham Accords as part of broader regional arrangements connected to negotiations with Iran.
According to Hebrew and American media reports, Trump published a statement on his Truth Social platform in which he linked progress on a possible nuclear agreement with Iran to expanding participation in the Abraham Accords.
Trump reportedly said he had spoken over the weekend with several regional leaders, including Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, UAE President Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Emir of Qatar, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi.
He stated that after what he described as major US efforts in the region, there should be “a commitment for all these countries to join the Abraham Accords simultaneously.”
READ: Qatar denies reports of $12bn offer to Iran to secure US deal
Trump reportedly singled out Saudi Arabia and Qatar, saying they “must sign immediately,” adding: “If they don’t — they are not part of the deal.”
The US president praised the Abraham Accords as a source of “tremendous financial, economic and social success” for participating countries.
He also presented a broader vision of a unified Middle East and made the striking suggestion that Iran itself could eventually join the accords if a wider agreement were reached.
According to the reports, Trump said some regional leaders told him they would consider it an honour for Iran to be included in the framework after a final agreement is signed.
He concluded by saying he had instructed US representatives to begin preparations for expanding participation in the accords, describing the potential outcome as an “unprecedented global alliance” that could transform the Middle East into a unified and economically powerful region.
READ: Iran says agreement with US could collapse over unresolved clauses
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
27 May 2026
Israeli ministers call for escalation and strikes on Beirut
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This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Portraits of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Itamar Ben-Gvir, Bezalel Smotrich and Michael Ben Ari, in Jerusalem. [THOMAS COEX/AFP via Getty Images]
Two senior ministers in the Israeli government called on Monday for a major military escalation in Lebanon following continued drone attacks attributed to Hezbollah.
During a meeting of Israel’s Security Cabinet, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir reportedly urged Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu to coordinate with US President Donald Trump and announce what he described as a “return to war in Lebanon.”
According to reports, Ben-Gvir called for cutting electricity supplies to Lebanon, taking control of the Zahrani area, and resuming intensive military operations.
READ: Netanyahu threatens to expand offensive in Lebanon as Washington signals support
Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich went further by explicitly calling for strikes on Beirut in response to Hezbollah drone operations targeting Israeli forces in southern Lebanon and along the border.
In a post on Telegram, Smotrich wrote: “For every explosive drone, ten buildings in Beirut should be brought down.”
He also announced the allocation of approximately two billion Israeli shekels — around $692 million — to develop systems designed to counter Hezbollah drones.
The statements came after the Israeli military announced the death of another Israeli soldier in southern Lebanon.
According to official Israeli figures cited in the reports, 24 Israeli soldiers have been killed since the start of the current offensive in Lebanon last March.
BLOG: Resolutions are disconnected from the Palestinian reality
This work by Middle East Monitor is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.
Keir Starmer explains that UK is actively supporting Israel’s genocidal expansion and repeats his previous quotation that he supports Zionism “without qualification”. Keir Starmer said “I said it loud and clear – and meant it – that I support Zionism without qualification.” here: https://www.jewishnews.co.uk/keir-starmer-interview-i-will-work-to-eradicate-antisemitism-from-day-one/
Climate science denier Donald Trump confirms that he knows nothing about democracy and that more liquid gold is being secured according to his policy of global privateering.
Orcas discuss Donald Trump and the killer apes’ concept of democracy. Front Orca warns that Trump is crashing his country’s economy and that everything he does he does for the fantastically wealthy.
27 May 2026

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