ICC prosecutor opens probe into war crimes against Palestinians

JERUSALEM/ THE HAGUE: The International Criminal Court's prosecutor on Friday opened an initial probe to see if war crimes have been committed against Palestinians, including during last year's Gaza war.

"Today the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court Fatou Bensouda opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestine," her office said in a statement, adding it may lead to a full-blown investigation.

The Prosecutor's decision follows the Government of Palestine's accession to the Rome Statute on 2 January 2015 and its declaration of 1 January 2015, lodged under article 12(3) of the Rome Statute – the Court's founding treaty – accepting the jurisdiction of the ICC over alleged crimes committed "in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem, since June 13, 2014."

Israel slams 'scandalous' ICC war crimes probe

Israel denounced the International Criminal Court's "scandalous" decision to launch a preliminary probe into possible war crimes committed against Palestinians by Israeli forces.

The sole purpose of the preliminary examination is to "try to harm Israel's right to defend itself from terror," Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman said in a statement.

He said the decision was "solely motivated by political anti-Israel considerations," adding that he would recommend against cooperating with the probe.