The Shurat Hadin Israel Law Centre has filed a complaint about Hamas to the International Criminal Court (ICC), local media reported on Wednesday. The center accuses Hamas of using children as human shields in the Great March of Return in the Gaza Strip.
In doing so, alleges Shurat Hadin, the movement violated the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC. The statute stipulates that using children under 15 years in military action constitutes a war crime.
April 20 2018
2 Palestinians murdered & more than 40 injured by Israeli snipers in the 4th consecutive Friday of the Great Return March.#Gaza #Children #Netanyahu #Muslims #Silence #Palestine #IDF #USA #GreatReturnMarch #Trump #Jews #UK #Israel #Zionist #Jerusalem #AndiVincent pic.twitter.com/K59IbMXydN— Andi Vincent (خليل) (@AndiVincent) April 20, 2018
The claim apparently ignores the fact that the March was and remains a peaceful protest against the Israeli occupation and its government’s refusal to allow Palestinian refugees to exercise their legitimate right of return to their homes inside what is now Israel.
The Israeli group named three Hamas officials —Khaled Meshaal, the former head of the movement’s Political Bureau; Saleh Al-Arouri, the current deputy Hamas chief; and Zaher Jabarin, a current member of the bureau — in the submission to the ICC. It claimed that as these three hold Jordanian citizenship they are subject to the ICC’s jurisdiction as Jordan is a signatory to the Rome Statute.
Why is #israel above and beyond international law?
Why does #USA support Israel?
Why does #UN accept murder of children by israel!
Why does #ICC accept war crimes by israel?
Why do you think this is so?— Anna O'Leary (@Highr0ller) April 21, 2018
Shurat Hadin Director, Nitzana Darshan-Leitner told Israel Hayom.
“The death of a 15-year-old boy near the Gaza border last week was a direct result of the war crimes committed by Hamas leaders against their own people. It is not Israel that should face an investigation, or fend off criticism by the European Union and a demand by the UN for an investigation into the death of [Palestinian] children – it is Hamas leaders who send these children to be human shields, to be killed in battle.”
#Israel risks censure by the ICC for using internationally BANNED Butterfly bullets. Such bullets do horrific damage to human tissue and also leave a large number of small fragments around the wound site which means long surgical procedures that are very taxing on Pal'n surgeons. pic.twitter.com/fqesU7BMJ5
— Melek el Kout (@Ian_Flaming) April 21, 2018
The Great March of Return, pointed out one observer, is a peaceful demonstration, not a “battle” as this group claims.
(MEMO, PC, Social media)
