Key facts
- US prosecutor Brenda Hollis defended Karim Khan's handling of the Palestine investigation.
- Hollis stated the arrest warrant applications for Israeli and Hamas leaders were not rushed.
- She asserted the applications were based on law and sufficient credible evidence.
- Hollis led the ICC team that prepared these warrant requests.
- She recommended Khan file the requests, citing the prosecutor's mandate.
- Hollis also praised Khan's restructuring of the prosecutor's office.
Brenda Hollis, the US prosecutor who supervised the International Criminal Court (ICC) team that built war crimes cases against Israeli and Hamas leaders, has defended Karim Khan's handling of the Palestine investigation. Hollis rejected claims that the arrest warrant applications were rushed to distract from misconduct allegations against Khan, stating they were the result of ongoing investigations based on law and sufficient credible evidence.
Hollis, who ran the team that prepared the requests, asserted that she took an active part in the process and recommended Khan file them because the law, evidence, and the Office of the Prosecutor's mandate demanded it. She noted that the ICC's Pre-Trial Chamber issued warrants in November 2024 against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-defence minister Yoav Gallant, and three Hamas leaders for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed since October 2023.
She also credited Khan with restructuring the prosecutor's office, enhancing efficiency and introducing a sense of urgency. Hollis served as principal trial lawyer on the Palestine investigation until the applications were filed in May 2024. Her intervention challenges Israeli officials' claims that Khan sought the warrants to divert attention from allegations against himself.