JERUSALEM (JTA) — If Israel does not provide information on last summer’s Gaza operation, the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court will base her decision to launch a full investigation solely on Palestinian claims.
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda told The Associated Press Tuesday that she has not yet received information from either side, but expects to receive data from the Palestinians.
Israel has said it will not cooperate with an investigation by the ICC of its Operation Protective Edge. The Palestinians officially joined the ICC in April, with plans to ask the court to prosecute Israel for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.
In January, ICC prosecutors opened a preliminary inquiry into possible war crimes in Gaza and the West Bank dating to the end of June, just before the start of Israel’s operation in Gaza. The prosecutors will determine whether preliminary findings merit a full investigation into alleged atrocities and possible charges against Israeli and/or Palestinian officials.
The preliminary investigation could take months or years.
