Rights groups to
ask world court to probe Israel war crimes
An international
group of lawyers
and jurists said
Saturday they
would ask the
International
Criminal Court
to probe "war
crimes"
committed by
Israel during
its offensive in
the Gaza Strip.
"The request for
an investigation
into war crimes
and crimes
against humanity
would be placed
by Wednesday at
The Hague,"
haytham
Manna, Arab
Commission for
Human Rights
spokesman, told
AFP.
The commission
is among 300
human rights
groups planning
to submit a
37-page dossier
to the ICC based
in the
Netherlands.
International
lawyers and
jurists met
Saturday in
Geneva to
finalise details
of the dossier,
which documents
several
violations
against
international
human rights
committed by the
Israeli army
during the Gaza
offensive, said
Manna.
The ICC is
competent to
adjudicate war
crimes, crimes
against humanity
and genocide
committed after
2002.
It can try
individuals if a
crime is to have
been committed
on the territory
of, or by a
national of, a
state party to
the court's
founding
statute.
Even though
Israel is not a
state member,
the group of
jurists said the
ICC could still
prosecute
individuals in
the country.
Manna added that
some state
members such as
Venezuela and
Bolivia are also
interested in
going to the
ICC.
As state members
of the ICC,
these countries
can go one step
further than
simply
requesting for
an investigation
by putting
forward the
charge against
the Israeli
authorities,
said Manna.
Bolivia is
preparing a
request seeking
to have Israel
prosecuted by
the ICC, two
ministers said
Friday in
Geneva.
The South
American state
says it wants to
muster support
among regional
peers for a bid
to have "the
Israeli
political and
military leaders
responsible for
the offensive on
the Gaza Strip"
brought before
justice, said
Sacha Llorenti,
whose portfolio
covers civil
society.
Venezuela and
Bolivia on
Wednesday broke
diplomatic ties
with Israel over
its deadly
military
offensive in the
Gaza Strip and
refusal to
comply with
international
calls for a
ceasefire, their
leftist
governments
said.
Israeli Prime
Minister Ehud
Olmert announced
late Saturday a
halt in the
three-week-old
Gaza offensive,
which left more
than 1,200
Palestinians
dead.
