Palestinian rights groups file ICC lawsuit against Israel for Gaza ‘genocide’

Three Palestinian human rights groups based in the occupied West Bank and the Gaza Strip have filed a lawsuit against Israel with the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing it of "apartheid" and "genocide", Al Jazeera has reported. 

The organisations, Al Haq, Al Mezan and the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights have called for "urgent attention" to be drawn to Israel’s ongoing bombardment against "densely populated civilian areas" in Gaza.  

The three groups have also urged the ICC to issue arrest warrants against Israeli President Isaac Herzog, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defence Minister Yoav Gallant. 

We filed a petition today at the #ICC charging Israel with genocide & apartheid. We requested arrest warrants against Israel’s President Herzog, PM Netanyahu and Defence Minister Gallant. https://t.co/YKlA2XS84V#WeChargeYouWithGenocide #Gaza #Palestine #Genocide #Ceasefire

— Noura Erakat (@4noura) November 9, 2023

The lawsuit said that "the suffocating siege imposed on [Gaza], the forced displacement of its population, the use of toxic gas, and the denial of necessities, such as food, water, fuel, and electricity" justifies the ICC to expand its ongoing war crimes investigation.  

The document added that Israel’s actions could be labelled "war crimes and ‘crimes against humanity", as well as "genocide". 

The ICC began an investigation of Israel last month following international pressure, with ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan visiting the Rafah crossing between Gaza and Egypt on 29 October and speaking of "unimaginable suffering". 

The families of nine Israelis who were killed by the October 7 Hamas attacks also lodged a complaint at the ICC on 3 November.

The ICC is the world's only independent court set up to probe war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. However, Israel has never recognised its jurisdiction.

In 2021, the ICC’s former chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda launched a probe into alleged Israeli war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories of Gaza, the West Bank and East Jerusalem dating back to 2014.   

Chief prosecutor Khan has said that any suspected war crimes in the current conflict would fall under the ICC's jurisdiction. 

ICC teams have not, however, been able to visit Gaza or Israel.

Israel has refused cooperation with the criminal court and blocked ICC investigation teams from travelling to the country or entering Gaza.

Since 7 October, over 10,800 Palestinians have been killed by Israel's indiscriminate bombardment of the Gaza Strip, which has flattened entire districts and targeted schools and hospitals.

Most of the victims have been children, women and elderly.