The International Criminal Court (ICC) chief prosecutor, Karim Khan, has embarked on an unprecedented visit to Israel and the occupied West Bank. The visit comes amid an ongoing investigation by the ICC into alleged war crimes committed by both Israel and Hamas during the Oct. 7 attacks from Gaza.
Khan toured some of the communities attacked during the October 7 Hamas onslaught, including Kibbutz Be’eri and Kibbutz Kfar Aza, and heard testimonies from survivors of the massacre.
Last month, Israeli families of victims of the Hamas attacks appealed to the ICC to order an investigation into the killings and abductions. The families urged Khan to focus his investigation on Hamas’ Oct. 7 actions in southern Israel, including enforced disappearances, which the court views as a crime against humanity.
Hamas’s October 7 massacre saw some 3,000 terrorists burst across the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip by land, air, and sea, killing some 1,200 people and seizing some 240 hostages of all ages under the cover of a deluge of thousands of rockets fired at Israeli towns and cities.
The Hamas-run health ministry in Gaza says that over 15,000 people have been killed in Israel’s offensive in the Palestinian territory, though those numbers cannot be independently verified and are believed to include both civilians and terror operatives killed in Gaza, including as a consequence of terror groups’ own rocket misfires.
In a statement on Sunday, Khan called on both sides of the conflict to respect their obligations under international law, including international humanitarian law and human rights law, and to facilitate the rapid and unimpeded passage of humanitarian relief for civilians in need. He also reiterated that his office will continue to monitor the situation and record any instance of alleged crimes that could fall within the jurisdiction of the court.
Following the Oct 7 attacks, Khan said his court had jurisdiction over potential war crimes carried out by Hamas militants in Israel and by Israelis in the Gaza Strip. The visit by the ICC chief prosecutor marks a significant moment in the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas. It underscores the importance of international law and the role of the ICC in investigating and addressing crimes against humanity. As the situation continues to unfold, the international community will be watching closely to see how both sides respond to the ICC’s involvement and calls for adherence to international law.
“The laws of war must be complied with,” Khan told Haaretz. “The law can’t be interpreted in such a way that women and children have no protection.”
Palestinian human rights groups refused to meet with Khan over the weekend, claiming the prosecutor has favored Israeli claims of human rights abuses since October 7.“As Palestinian human rights organizations, we decided not to meet him,” Ammar Dwaik, director general of the Independent Commission for Human Rights (ICHR), told Reuters.
Relevant articles:
– ICC Prosecutor to Visit Israel at Request of Oct. 7 Hamas Attack Victims
– ICC prosecutor to visit Israel at request of Oct. 7 Hamas attack … – MSN
– ICC chief prosecutor meets with Oct. 7 survivors in Israel, PA president
– ICC prosecutor urges Israel and Hamas to respect international law
Self-assertion of the kangaroo court is humorous.