Palestinians urge faster ICC probe into Israel ‘war crimes’

Top Palestinian officials Friday urged the world’s only permanent war crimes court to speed up a probe into allegations of Israeli abuses amid an upsurge of fresh violence between the two sides.

 

Meanwhile International Criminal Court chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda urged for calm, warning that an escalation of violence could lead to “a large-scale commission of crimes” that may fall within the Hague-based court’s jurisdiction.

 

“It is extremely important to expedite the process… because if Israel feels impunity, what will deter Israel from multiplying the victims?” Palestinian foreign minister Riad al-Malki said.

 

He was speaking after handing over a new dossier to Bensouda, “making reference to the extra-judicial killings, home demolition and collective punishments.”

 

It also cited examples “in the last 40 days of Israeli aggression.”

 

Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas met Bensouda on Friday for the first time since the Palestinian Authority sparked controversy by joining the tribunal in January.

 

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