Mossad threatened the former prosecutor of the International Criminal Court and her Moroccan husband

According to The Guardian, Yossi Cohen, head of the Mossad and close to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, tried to recruit Bensouda. When this failed, he allegedly resorted to threats targeting her and her family’s safety. Cohen reportedly told Bensouda: “You don’t want to get involved in anything that could jeopardize your safety or the safety of your family.” Mossad is said to have investigated her relatives and obtained secret recordings of her Moroccan husband of Gambian origin.

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The Mossad’s goal, according to Israeli sources, was to intimidate Bensouda or convince her to side with Israel. Yossi Cohen is known to be an effective recruiter for foreign agents and led a multi-agency coordination against the ICC once Fatou Bensouda began its initial investigation, The Guardian reported.

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Despite these attempts, Fatou Bensouda continued her work. Therefore, her successor, Karim Khan, was able to continue the investigations. Following the October 7 attacks, Khan applied for arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and members of Hamas, including political leader Ismail Haniyeh and military commanders Muhammad Deif and Yahya Sinwar.