Palestinians Submit Evidence against Israel to International Court
The Palestinian Authority on Thursday presented a first batch of evidence to the International Criminal Court in support of its campaign to have Israel investigated for alleged war crimes.
"The state of Palestine has pledged to cooperate with the court including by providing it with relevant information and it is fulfilling its pledge today," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki told journalists after leaving the court.
"The information provided by the state of Palestine make a compelling case for the prompt opening of an investigation," Malki added.
ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in January launched a preliminary probe to see whether there was enough evidence for a full-blown war crimes investigation into last year's conflict in the Gaza Strip between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas.
The documents handed over on Thursday consist of two files: one about alleged Israeli crimes committed in Gaza during the 50-day war in July and August last year that killed 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians, and 73 Israelis, mostly soldiers.
The other file deals with Israel's occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem, including "information about the issue of Palestinian prisoners," the Palestinian mission in The Hague said.
"Achieving justice is essential for the Palestinian victims, dead and alive," said Malki. "Palestine has chosen to seek justice not vengeance, this is why we are here today."
The move is part of an increased focus on diplomatic maneuvering by the Palestinians, who have been frustrated with the lack of progress in ending the Israeli occupation and creating their own independent state.
Bensouda warned in May that both sides could face war crimes charges in the case, which has been vehemently opposed by Israel. Israel is not a signatory of the statute that established the court. Palestine ratified the ICC's statutes in January.
The PA's submission of evidence comes three days after the release of a U.N. report that said both Israel and Palestinian militants may have committed war crimes during the 2014 Gaza conflict.
Earlier this year, as the Palestinians were putting their accession to the ICC in motion, president Mahmud Abbas sent documents to the court authorizing the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories since June 13, 2014.
Among the more controversial events of the Gaza war was Israel's bombing of U.N. schools being used as shelters for the displaced.
Israel said it was forced to carry out the strikes, claiming Hamas used them to store weapons or fire rockets at Israel.
The ICC, set up in 2002, is the world's only permanent independent body to try the most serious crimes of concern to the international community.
25 June 2015, 18:51
10
Good news, far from empty words of assad nassi and khomaini...
I hope this will achieve something, international comunity failed untill now, maybe international justice will better...
25 June 2015, 19:21
00
Isn't it interesting.
At least a quarter of a million people have been killed and more than two million made in refugees in the last 4 years in the civil war in Syria, and nobody could care less, nobody complains to the UN Security Council, or to the ICC about war crimes. Less than 1% of that number are killed after Hamas starts a war against Israel, less than 10% of that number killed in attacks against Israel in 66 years, yet everyone starts running with their complaints against Israel.
Now that the Palestinians have presented their first lot of evidence against Israel to the ICC, the boomerang will come into effect, and Israel will start flooding the ICC with evidence against the PA and Hamas.
25 June 2015, 20:27
10
There is no wories as long as all is donne with justice, but yet u put it so easely; palestenians got chaced out their land because some people were told by GOD that it is "la terre promise"... So starting from this numbers donnit really count....
And yet a lot of countries complained to un security concil about assad crimes in syria, human right group have filed a complete file, but u know RUSIA veto to protect assad, like the AMERICAN veto to protect some illuminated people that want to get back the land THE LORD promissed them....
Man come in i sincerely hope that peace would be reached, with no more discrimnations, a free and democratic palestenian state...
The promised land????.... That really should explain all... And yet da3ech, ansor allah, faylak badder, hezbollah....all are also acting according to GOD.... Retards...
26 June 2015, 08:13
00
1anonymetexasusa - if you are going to use a chronological timetable as to the order in which "atrocities" should be dealt with, how about starting with a complaint against Turkey with regards the Armenian Holocaust.
Also please remember that Israel has written and recorded evidence that the Imams and Muezzins in the mosques in what is now the north of Israel were the one who pressured the local Arab communities to quit their homes and move across the borders, so that the fighters could "get rid of the Jews", and within 2 weeks they would be able to return to their homes.
It is not Israels' fault that these 2 weeks have now exceeded over 66 years, they simply didn't want to be annihilated.
