Potential War Crimes, ICC Monitor Hamas-Israel War

THE HAGUE – The chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) said he was overseeing developments in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza, as troops Israel and groups Hamas engage in deadly clashes and counterattacks.

In a tweet on Wednesday (12/5/2021), head and ICC , Fatou Bensouda, said he was concerned about developments in the region.

“I note with great concern the escalation of violence in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as well as in and around Gaza, and the possible crimes under the Rome Statute,” tweeted the ICC prosecutor.

“My office will continue to monitor developments on the ground and will take into account any issues that fall within its jurisdiction.” Russia Today.

Also read: Zionist regime: ICC has no authority to investigate Israel about war crimes

Bensouda said he echoed calls from the international community to defuse the situation, urging both sides to calm down and exercise restraint.

Since the weekend, chaos has broken out in Israel and Palestine , with clashes between Israeli and Palestinian law enforcers increasing dramatically. The situation escalated after Hamas fired rockets at Israel which responded with air strikes. At least 35 people were killed in Gaza and five in Israel.

Also read: Gaza Rockets Kill 5 Israelis, Zionists Deploy 5,000 Reserve Troops

On Wednesday, Israel declared a state of emergency in the center of Lod city, as Israeli Arabs rioted amid the escalating conflict.

In March, Bensouda announced that ICC opened an investigation into possible war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories since June 2014. The move, which the Palestinian Authority welcomed, came after a court in The Hague ruled in February that the agency had jurisdiction to investigate serious crimes in the Palestinian territories.

Also read: ICC affirms it has jurisdiction to investigate crimes in the West Bank and Gaza

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