The decision provoked rapid reactions from both Israel, which is not a member of the court and rejected its jurisdiction, and the Palestinian Authority, which welcomed the ruling.
The ICC judges said their decision was based on the fact that Palestine had gained membership of the tribunal’s founding treaty, and referred the situation to the court.
The judges said the jurisdiction decision does not imply any attempt to determine Palestinian statehood, which is uncertain, or national borders.
Netanyahu said “the ICC refuses to investigate brutal dictatorships such as Iran and Syria, which commit atrocious atrocities almost daily”, adding that “we will fight this distortion of justice with all our might!”
ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her office was studying the decision and would decide what to do next “strictly guided by its independent and impartial mandate” to prosecute serious war crimes and atrocities when countries cannot or do not want to do so. not.
Bensouda ruled in December 2019 that ‘war crimes are being committed or are being committed on the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.’ She identified the Israeli army as well as armed Palestinian groups such as Hamas as possible perpetrators.
Video transcription
BENJAMIN NETANYAHU: When the ICC investigates Israel for false war crimes, it is pure anti-Semitism. The court set up to prevent atrocities such as the Nazi massacre against the Jewish people now directs the one state of the Jewish people. First, it outrageously claims that it is a war crime when Jews live in our homeland. Second, it claims that when a democratic Israel defends itself against terrorists who kill our children and put our cities at risk, we are again committing a war crime. Yet the ICC refuses to investigate brutal dictatorships such as Iran and Syria that commit atrocious atrocities almost daily. As Prime Minister of Israel, I assure you, we will fight this distortion of justice with all our might.