US, West Exert Pressure on ICC Not to Probe ’Israeli’ War Crimes in Gaza

Local Editor

The United States and other Western countries are reportedly exerting significant pressure on the International Criminal Court [ICC] to prevent an investigation into "Israel's" war crimes in the seized Gaza Strip, according to The Guardian on Monday. 

According to a report published in The Guardian on Monday, ICC has persistently avoided opening an investigation into "Israeli" war crimes in seized Gaza as a result of US and other western pressure, former court officials and lawyers claim.

According to the report, the UK and France, which are both among the biggest contributors to the ICC budget, also try to prevent investigations into war crimes committed by "Israel."

Furthermore, The Guardian said that the probe would not only examine "Israel's" war crimes in its recent onslaught on seized Gaza, but also address the issue of illegal "Israeli" settlements in the occupied West Bank, in which the Zionist leadership would be responsible.
The potential investigation could have broad ramifications for the "Israeli" regime, The Guardian added.

It also said that such a probe has become a key issue in the ceasefire talks between the Palestinians and "Israelis" in the Egyptian capital of Cairo.

Previously, Palestinians had demanded that the court in The Hague examine "Israel's" war crimes based on a Palestinian request in 2009. However, due to US pressure, the ICC is divided on whether it should launch an investigation, The Guardian reported.

Earlier this month [August], Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad al-Malki said he is pushing for a war crimes case at the ICC against "Israel" due to the Zionist regime's brutal aggression of the seized Gaza Strip.

"Everything that has happened in the last 28 days is clear evidence of war crimes committed by "Israel," amounting to crimes against humanity," Malki told reporters after meeting prosecutors at the ICC on August 5.
"There is no difficulty for us to show or build the case. Evidence is there ... "Israel" is in clear violation of international law," he added.

"Israel" has launched a major military aggression against the blockaded Gaza Strip on July 8, which raged for more than a month.

At least 2,016 Palestinians, including 541 children, 250 women and 95 elderly men, have been martyred and as many as 10,196 others have suffered injuries by the "Israeli" attacks. 

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team