After visiting Israel and Ramallah, the ICC prosecutor says he’ll intensify investigations

THE HAGUE, Netherlands — The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court stated Sunday that his workplace will “further intensify its efforts to advance its investigations” of attainable crimes by Hamas and Israeli forces, after he visited the area for this primary time since his appointment.

There have been widespread claims of breaches of worldwide regulation by Hamas and Israeli forces since struggle erupted after the lethal Oct. 7 assaults by Hamas and different militants that killed about 1,200 individuals, principally civilians, in southern Israel. Around 240 individuals had been taken hostage.

The Hague-based court docket has been investigating crimes within the Palestinian territories dedicated by either side since 2021 however has but to announce any fees. Israel isn’t a member state of the court docket and doesn’t acknowledge its jurisdiction.

Prosecutor Karim Khan stated in a written assertion issued after his go to that he witnessed “scenes of calculated cruelty” at places of the Oct. 7 assaults. During the go to, he spoke to members of the family of Israeli victims and known as for the rapid and unconditional launch of hostages taken by Hamas and different militants.

“The attacks against innocent Israeli civilians on 7 October represent some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity, crimes which the ICC was established to address,” Khan stated, including that he and his prosecutors are working “to hold those responsible to account.”

He added that he’s prepared to interact with native prosecutors in keeping with the precept of complementarity – the ICC is a court docket of final resort set as much as prosecute struggle crimes when native courts can not or is not going to take motion.

Khan additionally visited Palestinian officers in Ramallah, together with President Mahmoud Abbas, and spoke to Palestinian victims. He stated of the struggle in Gaza that combating in “densely populated areas where fighters are alleged to be unlawfully embedded in the civilian population is inherently complex, but international humanitarian law must still apply and the Israeli military knows the law that must be applied.”

He stated that Israel “has trained lawyers who advise commanders and a robust system intended to ensure compliance with international humanitarian law. Credible allegations of crimes during the current conflict should be the subject of timely, independent examination and investigation.”

The Health Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza stated Saturday that the general loss of life toll within the strip because the Oct. 7 begin of the struggle had surpassed 15,200. The ministry doesn’t differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, however it stated 70% of the useless had been girls and kids. It stated greater than 40,000 individuals had been wounded because the struggle started.

Khan additionally expressed “profound concern” at what he known as “the significant increase in incidents of attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinian civilians in the West Bank,” saying that “no Israeli armed with an extreme ideology and a gun can feel they can act with impunity against Palestinian civilians.”

He known as for a right away halt to such assaults and stated his workplace is “continuing to investigate these incidents with focus and urgency.”

Khan stated he would search to work with “all actors” within the battle to “ensure that when action is taken by my office it is done on the basis of objective, verifiable evidence which can stand scrutiny in the courtroom and ensure that when we do proceed we have a realistic prospect of conviction.”