International Criminal Court and Investigate for Israeli War Crimes
The International Criminal Court decided to investigate the war crimes on Palestinian territories, and Netanyahu condemned the decision while the Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed it.
International Criminal Court and Investigate for Israeli War Crimes – The International Criminal Court announced an investigation into allegations of war crimes on Palestinian territories, and stated that “the public prosecutor has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories.”
As a result, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that the decision “proves once again that it is a political party and not a judicial institution, and it weakens the ability of democratic countries to defend themselves in the face of terrorism.”
In the same context, Israeli media said, “The international court’s decision could charge senior Israeli officials and they’ll face criminal procedures and even arrest warrants.”
The Israeli Kan channel said that “there are mutual complaints about Hamas’ actions in the Gaza Strip and also against Israel’s actions in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. So far, the international court has not decided whether it has the power to investigate them or not. “There is authority to investigate what happened in these areas, and therefore this decision has implications that are not only judicial but also political and even international.”
It added, “The Trump administration threatened to put penalties against the criminal court if it takes decisions against Israel, but now the Trump administration is not present and Biden is in the White House, and the judges in The Hague have published this decision.”
The Israeli channel indicated that “in “Israel”, they expected this decision but were surprised at its timing, and there is a list of officers and security establishment men who should be warned if they travel abroad, in light of the open international criminal investigation the criminal court against Israel.”
For its part, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs said that “the decision of the International Criminal Court regarding jurisdiction is a historic day for the principle of accountability”, expressing its willingness “to cooperate with the court’s investigation.”
It is noteworthy that the “Israel Hayom” newspaper reported earlier that Tel Aviv is to ask the administration of US President Joe Biden to continue cooperation in efforts to “prevent dangerous measures” taken by the International Criminal Court in the Hague.
It stated that the first step “Israel” seeks to take, in cooperation with the new administration, is to elect the next public prosecutor to the court, within the coming weeks, that is, after the Public Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda left her post.
Israeli War Crimes
The Israeli newspaper added that Biden and his team “did not take a public position on the issue of their approach to the work of the International Tribunal,” while former President Barack Obama, who Biden served as his deputy, had refrained from joining the United States to the court due to the “danger” it poses to the American security forces.
The Trump administration criticized the court, and court prosecutor Bensouda had been sanctioned after her decision to investigate US soldiers for war crimes in Afghanistan.
Trump authorized sanctions against any International Criminal Court official who investigates or charges the US military “without Washington’s consent.”
On May 1st, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, recognized the right of Palestine to go to court to prosecute “Israel” for its crimes and violations.
The report explains the reasons and how the court can exercise jurisdiction over crimes committed on the territory of Palestine. The report also defines the geographical jurisdiction of the court over the occupied territories and makes the criminal investigation closer than any other time.
On May 10th, the International Criminal Court in the Hague, the Netherlands, confirmed that the Israeli smear campaigns targeting it regarding its impartiality “will not affect the course of the investigation on Palestine.”
It is noteworthy that Palestine officially became a member of the International Criminal Court on April 1st, 2015, which allows it to legally prosecute Israeli officials on charges of committing war crimes against Palestinians.
Israeli War Crimes