Search Articles
THE HAGUE, Netherlands (CN) — A top Palestinian diplomat asked for international support for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip on Thursday, saying he would cooperate fully with an investigation by the International Criminal Court.
Riyad al-Maliki met twice with the court’s chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, during his visit to The Hague, stressing the need for immediate action by the court to prevent what the foreign minister called further violations of international law.
According to al-Maliki, more than 7,000 people have been killed in the Gaza Strip and another 20,000 have been wounded in the conflict between Israel and Hamas. The war was set off when Hamas militants stormed into Israel on Oct. 7, killing some 1,400 people and kidnapping at least 200 others.
“This time the war that Israel is waging is different. This time it is a war of revenge,” al-Maliki told reporters following his meeting with The Hague-based court.
Prosecutors at the world’s only permanent atrocity crimes court announced in 2021 they would open an investigation into alleged war crimes committed in Palestinian territories. Israel, which is not a member of the court, deeply opposes the investigation, arguing Palestine can’t refer a case because it is not a state.
In 2015, Palestine signed onto the Rome Statute, the treaty that created the court in 2002, and after years of legal wrangling, judges concluded in 2021 that the court had jurisdiction.
Al-Maliki said the Palestinians would fully comply with an investigation, even one looking into crimes committed by the militant group Hamas. “We have been working with the prosecutor, we were the ones who, as a state party, were the ones who have made the referral. We understood from the beginning what that really entails,” he told reporters.
While in The Hague, al-Maliki also submitted information to the International Court of Justice, where there are proceedings pending about the legal consequences of Israel’s actions in Palestine.
“What other choice do we have?” al-Maliki said when asked about pursuing a case via international courts.
The U.N. General Assembly voted in 2022 to ask its top court to weigh in on “the policies and practices of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territory including East Jerusalem.” Hearings are scheduled for next year.
Follow @mollyquellSubscribe to our free newsletters
Our weekly newsletter Closing Arguments offers the latest about ongoing trials, major litigation and rulings in courthouses around the U.S. and the world, while the monthly Under the Lights dishes the legal dirt from Hollywood, sports, Big Tech and the arts.