What next for the ICC and the Palestine investigation after Karim Khan's removal?

Member states of the International Criminal Court voted on Friday to remove chief prosecutor Karim Khan over misconduct claims, with 82 of the court's 125 members backing dismissal in a secret ballot at the United Nations in New York.

It is the first time in the court's 24-year history that a sitting prosecutor has been removed, and it caps an 18-month disciplinary process that Palestinian rights groups, former judges and the prosecutor's lawyers have described as politicised. Khan has denied any wrongdoing.

The vote has opened several questions on the fate of the Palestine investigation and who will be elected to be his predecessor. 

In particular, Khan's departure and Israel's official reaction have prompted questions as to whether it will have any impact on the arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former defence minister Yoav Gallant, which were issued during Khan’s leadership.

Israel's Foreign Minister Gideon Saar described Khan's removal as "long-delayed", calling on the court to drop the arrest warrants "immediately", reiterating Israel's debunked claim that it was rushed to distract from sexual misconduct allegations. 

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