The International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague rejected prosecutor Fatou Bensouda’s probe into alleged war crimes committed by Israel in Judea and Samaria on Thursday.
According to Ynet, the court denied the request citing that it was too long and exceeded the number of pages permitted for filing. Additionally, the court stated that Bensouda could file a new request if she meets the required parameters.
On December 20, Bensouda proclaimed”I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Palestine”. However she failed to specify who was perpetrating the alleged crimes as the Hague concluded their initial assessment of the situation.
Bensouda added that prior to opening the probe, she would ask the ICC’s tribunal to rule on the jurisdiction of the territory since Israel is not a signatory to the Rome Statue — the charter that serves as the foundation of the court.
Palestinian entities, are not permitted to initiate any proceedings in the the Hague. The opinion notes that it can only be executed by sovereign states. The Palestinian Authority does not qualify for statehood and sovereignty.
