ICC Opens Investigation Into Israeli War Crimes in Palestine

The Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Fatou Bensouda, announced Wednesday the opening of an investigation into war crimes that Israel may have committed against the Palestinian population in the occupied territories: "I confirm today the opening of an investigation into the situation in Palestine by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC). The investigation will cover crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court that were allegedly committed since June 13, 2014."

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However, as Bensouda stated, such investigation will be carried out "independently, impartially and objectively, without fear or favoritism."

Meanwhile, Tuesday, the Israeli government estimated that hundreds of its forces would be subject to war crimes investigations by the Hague court; therefore, Israel Defense Minister Benny Gantz stated that his government intends to "try to influence the ICC" to protect them.

 Israel fears that the Hague Court's ruling to investigate its war crimes will result in massive arrest warrants against regime officials.

After repeated requests from Palestinian authorities, Bensouda said in December 2019 that there was a "reasonable basis" to open a war crimes investigation into Israeli military actions in the Gaza Strip and Israeli settlement activity in the occupied West Bank.

The judicial body ruled on February 5 that it has jurisdiction to investigate atrocities committed by the Israeli military in the occupied West Bank, Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem (Al-Quds), where Israel has occupied more than 50 years.

In fact, the Israeli regime is not a member of the International Criminal Court, created in 1998. Still, Palestine is a State Party to the Rome Statute, the Court's founding charter, since January 2015, so the Office of the Prosecutor would have the power to investigate the alleged crimes, regardless of the possible perpetrators' nationality.