from AlJazeera America, Jan. 16, 2015
Israel’s fear that Palestinian recognition by the International Criminal Court would bring unwelcome scrutiny of its military actions took a step closer to fruition on Friday, when the the ICC announced a preliminary probe into possible war crimes committed in occupied territories.
Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda vowed “full independence and impartiality” in “examining the information available.” The probe was procedural, she said, and would determine whether evidence of possible war crimes by Israel or by Palestinian entities required formal investigation.
The announcement follows the Palestinian Authority’s agreeing to the court’s founding treaty and recognizing its jurisdiction dating back to the eve of last summer’s Gaza war. Israel is not party to the treaty, nor is the United States.
