A delegation from the International Criminal Court (ICC) is set to arrive in Palestine in the coming days to assess whether it should probe alleged war crimes committed by Israel during the 2014 Gaza offensive.
An Israeli official told the France Press Agency (AFP) that the delegation’s visit is “unprecedented,” adding, “the visit was intended to show the ICC team how the Israeli judicial system works.”
The visit came at the request of the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda.
Israel tells The Hague that it has neither the authority nor the justification to handle Palestinian complaints #ICC https://t.co/fHu3nSmxxq
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) September 3, 2016
Under its statutes, the ICC must be satisfied that the state in question is unable or unwilling to pursue the matter itself before the court opens war crimes proceedings.
In July 2014, Israel launched a 51-day offensive on the Gaza Strip that claimed the lives of 2,200 Palestinians, mostly civilians.
Israel has refused the Palestinian Authority’s request at the ICC to investigate possible war crimes committed in Gaza, yet it said it is ready to collaborate with the ICC in its efforts and investigations.
(PC, SAFA)
