The International Criminal Court (ICC) has decided it will launch a full-fledged probe into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian lands by Israel. In response, Tel Aviv has declared the court’s jurisdiction there null and void.
The looming probe was announced by the ICC’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Friday. A preliminary investigation – opened back in 2015 – has concluded that there is enough data to open a full-scale one.
“I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Palestine,” Bensouda said in a statement. “I am satisfied that… war crimes have been, or are being, committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.”
The announcement caused an explosive reaction in Tel Aviv, with the top politicians rushing to condemn it. Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu – himself entangled in several domestic probes into alleged corruption – called the ICC move “a dark day for truth and justice.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu: "This is a dark day for truth and justice. The ICC prosecutor has decided not to dismiss outright the Palestinian claim against the State of Israel. It is a baseless and outrageous decision. pic.twitter.com/SM1ve1ombw
“The ICC prosecutor has decided not to dismiss outright the Palestinian claim against the State of Israel. It is a baseless and outrageous decision,” Netanyahu said in a statement, arguing that the court cannot probe alleged war crimes in Palestine altogether.
The court has no jurisdiction in this case. The ICC only has jurisdiction over petitions submitted by sovereign states. But there has never been a Palestinian state.
