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Fatou Bensouda, Gaza Strip, Hague, ICC, IDF, International Criminal Court, Israel, Israeli regime, legitimate, Murder, Nabil Abuznaid, occupation, Occupied Palestine, Palestine & Gaza, Palestinian delegation, Palestinian territories, Palestinians, Tel Aviv, UN, United Nations, United States, US Department of Defense, USA, War crimes
The Palestinian Authority will officially join the ICC on April 1, while Israel is not a member.
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ICC opens inquiry into possible war crimes in Palestinian territories
The International Criminal Court in the Hague has opened a “preliminary examination” of possible war crimes conducted on Palestinian territory during the last year’s military conflict with Israel in Gaza.
A preliminary examination is the first step in the court’s legal process, and evaluates whether a full investigation is necessary.
In a statement released on the ICC website, its Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda promised that her office “will conduct its analysis in full independence and impartiality,” mentioning that no deadline has been set for announcing the results of the investigation.
Although the court may address fundamental issues, such as Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories following the 1967 war, the examination is likely to home on in on specific violations during the IDF incursion into Gaza last summer, in which more than 2,000 Palestinians, and 60 Israelis died.
“The case is now in the hands of the court,” Nabil Abuznaid, head of the Palestinian delegation in The Hague, told Reuters. “It is a legal matter now and we have faith in the court system.“
Israel has lashed out at the proposed examination, calling the fast-track decision “scandalous.”
Complete report can be read here:
http://rt.com/news/223435-icc-palestine-open-crime/
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Later that day, Press TV Reports:
US slams ICC probe of Israel war crimes
The United States has once again showed its support for Israel’s war crimes denouncing a plan to probe into Tel Aviv’s atrocities against Palestinians in the besieged Gaza Strip.
The US condemned the International Criminal Court (ICC) decision to launch a preliminary investigation into Israel’s crimes calling it a “tragic irony”.
“We strongly disagree with the ICC prosecutor’s action today,” State Department spokesman Jeff Rathke said in a statement on Friday.
In a statement on Friday, the ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said she would conduct an “analysis in full independence and impartiality”.
Herman von Herbel, who serves as ICC registrar, confirmed on January 5 that the body has received documents from the Palestinian Authority declaring its acceptance of the body’s jurisdiction.
The move paves the way for the ICC investigation of crimes by the Israeli regime, which is not a member of the court, committed during the recent war on Gaza.
Israel’s war on Gaza, which ended in August 2014 through an Egyptian-brokered truce, killed over 2,140 Palestinians, including 577 children. Over 11,100 others, including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people, were injured.
About 1,500 buildings and structures were also demolished during the Israeli offensive.
In November, 2014, the US Department of Defense announced plans to arm Israel with 3,000 smart bombs as part of Washington’s military aid to Tel Aviv.
The United States provides Israel with some $8.5 million in military aid per day, adding up to over $3 billion annually.
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Even later that day, Press TV came out with this report:
ICC must hold Israel accountable for war crimes: Analyst
A political analyst says the International Criminal Court (ICC) should hold the Israeli regime “accountable” for the war crimes it is perpetrating against the Palestinians, Press TV reports.
In an interview with Press TV, Anthony Hall, professor of globalization at Lethbridge University, expressed hope that the ICC “develop the political will to press charges” against Tel Aviv and hold those who violate the international law “accountable.”
He further hailed as “a step forward” the ICC’s acceptance of the Palestinian bid to join the judicial body, emphasizing the need for an investigation into the crimes Israel committed against Gazans during its 50-day military offensive against the blockaded land last summer.
Unfortunately there is no credible rule of law in the global community, Hall said, adding that war criminals can in reality travel freely around the world and violate regulations without fearing the consequences of their actions.
Hall made the comments after the ICC announced Friday that it has launched a preliminary investigation into Israel’s war crimes against the Palestinian people in the besieged Gaza Strip.
Fatou Bensouda, the ICC prosecutor, said in a statement that she will conduct the examination in “full independence and impartiality.”
Israel’s war on Gaza, which ended in August 2014 through an Egyptian-brokered truce, killed over 2,140 Palestinians, including 577 children. Over 11,100 others, including 3,374 children, 2,088 women and 410 elderly people, were injured.
About 1,500 buildings and structures were also demolished during the Israeli offensive.
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So, the REAL question is,
“Is the International Criminal Court legitimate enough to go ahead with their investigation of Israel for war crimes committed against the people locked in an open air prison called Gaza?”
The world is watching while holding their breath and crossing their fingers. This is a first step, but it may not be nearly enough unless they come out with a verdict of guilty. Many have already stated that Israel has in fact committed war crimes against Palestinians. If the Israeli/Palestine issue is to ever be resolved, then something different has to happen.
While many condemn Israel for kidnapping Palestinians, arresting Palestinians, shooting Palestinians (some under the age of 6), destroying their age old olive groves, poisoning their sheep, etc so they can steal more land to build more illegal settlements, few actually do anything about it.
We all rejoiced with the prospect of SOME kind of justice coming to the peoples of Palestine, especially those in Gaza after so many were senselessly murdered last year in the Israel attack “Opperation Protective Edge.” I, for one, am interested to see how legitimate the ICC really is.
We all know the United Nations had invited Iran to the Syria peace talks until the United States threw a fit and had the UN UN-invite them. Its an embarrassing moment when bias is pushed in the worlds face by such actions. We will now see how legitimate the ICC actually is by going ahead with this investigation, despite the cries from the largest terrorists in the world, the United States of America!
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https://syrianfreepress.wordpress.com/2015/01/17/israel-icc-war-crimes/
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For the International Criminal Court to look into possible war crimes committed during July/August in Gaza is simply the way law and order works and is not in the least controversial. Israel and the United States need to answer to why neither has joined the rest of the world’s nations in the ICC – an institution built to maintain global law and order.