Palestinians to submit first case material against Israel to ICC

The Palestinian Authority will hand over documentation to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the first time on Thursday outlining alleged Israeli crimes in the occupied West Bank and the 2014 Gaza war, its mission to the Netherlands said.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki will give two files to the court's prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, the statement issued on Wednesday said.

The Palestinian Authority joined the Hague-based court in April and Bensouda has launched a preliminary inquiry into the situation.

U.N. investigators said on Monday that Israel and Palestinian militant groups committed grave abuses of international humanitarian law during the 2014 Gaza conflict that may amount to war crimes.

It is up to Bensouda to decide if and when a formal war crimes investigation is launched.

The Palestinian submissions are intended to contribute to the preliminary investigation, which covers the period starting June 14, 2014, the statement said.

Israel opposes the ICC and has said it would not cooperate with prosecutors.

 

 

 

REUTERS