The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Wednesday she launched a formal inquiry into alleged crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move strongly opposed by Israel.
Fatou Bensouda said in a statement the inquiry will be conducted “independently, impartially and objectively, without fear or favour”.
“Today, I confirm the initiation by the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of an investigation respecting the situation in Palestine,” Bensouda said, adding it will specifically look at allegations since June 13, 2014.
The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed the prosecutor’s investigation.
It is “a long-awaited step that serves Palestine’s tireless pursuit of justice and accountability, which are indispensable pillars of the peace the Palestinian people seek and deserve”, the PA foreign ministry said in a statement.
Hamas also praised the ICC’s move and defended its own actions.
“We welcome the ICC decision to investigate Israeli occupation war crimes against our people. It is a step forward on the path of achieving justice for the victims of our people,” Hazem Qassem, a Hamas spokesman in Gaza, told Reuters news agency.
“Our resistance is legitimate and it comes to defend our people. All international laws approve legitimate resistance,” said Qassem.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, a vocal critic of The Hague-based ICC, declared the Jewish state was “under attack”.
“The ICC reached a decision which is the essence of anti-Semitism,” Netanyahu said in the video posted on Twitter.
Source: Aljazeera.com
The post ICC prosecutor opens war crimes probe in Palestinian territories appeared first on The Chronicle Online.
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