The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court, Karim Khan, said on Friday that he had received a joint request from five countries to investigate the situation in the Palestinian territories.
Khan added that the request came from South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros and Djibouti.
South Africa said the request was made “to ensure that the International Criminal Court pays urgent attention to the grave situation in Palestine.”
The International Criminal Court is already investigating the “situation in the State of Palestine” in relation to war crimes said to have been committed since June 13, 2014.
Khan said last month that his office’s mandate includes the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7 and any crimes committed as part of the Israeli response, including the bombing of the Gaza Strip.
Since the investigation is already underway, the request submitted on Friday will have limited practical impact.
The Public Prosecutor’s Office said in a statement that it has so far collected “a large amount of information and evidence” regarding crimes in the Palestinian territories and crimes committed by Palestinians as well.
Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its authority.
The ICC can investigate citizens of non-member states in certain circumstances, such as in the case of accusations relating to crimes committed in the territory of member states.
The Palestinian territories have been included among the members of the International Criminal Court since 2015.
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2023-11-17 19:53:56
