Three leading Palestinian human rights organizations have filed a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court (ICC) calling on it to investigate Israel for war crimes, as well as issue arrest warrants for Israeli officials.
The lawsuit is filed by Al-Haq, Al Mezan, and the Palestinian Center for Human Rights under the authority of Article 15 of the Rome Statute.
The submission emphasized the need for urgent attention to the continuous barrage of Israeli airstrikes on densely populated civilian areas within the Gaza Strip, as well as the suffocating siege imposed on the territory, and the forced displacement of its population.
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“We considered that bombing schools, refugee camps, hospitals, mosques, the use of white phosphorus, pushing populations to evacuate under bombardment, constitute war crimes,” said Emmanuel Daoud, Attorney at the Paris Bar and the ICC, who is representing the organizations.
He described the Israeli assault as a widespread or systematic attack. “Systematic because of the methods used by the Israeli army, widespread because it concerns the entire population of Gaza.”
“We considered these were crimes against humanity, including genocide and incitement to genocide.”
The submission strongly urges the ICC to issue arrest warrants expeditiously for those suspected of these crimes within the Israeli political, military, and administrative apparatus, “especially President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Yoav Gallant and others.”
Over the past month, the relentless reports of more than 11,000 Palestinians killed in Gaza, predominantly women and children, “highlight the urgent need for swift action.”
“We implore the ICC to acknowledge its moral and judicial responsibilities and act decisively upon our communication,” said Daoud.
This action follows other submissions over the years, including the open letter submitted by 101 associations and academics to the ICC Office of the Prosecutor on October 19, 2023, along with other global legal initiatives aimed at holding Israel and Israeli officials accountable for their actions.
Since 2021, the ICC has been investigating Israel’s violations of international law in the occupied Palestinian territories. These investigations particularly look into Israel’s possible war crimes and crimes against humanity from 2014.
(PC, MEMO)
