The International Criminal Court prosecutor is allegedly opening an investigation into possible war crimes committed in the Palestinian territories. The investigation will span almost seven years, dating back to 2014. Israel has condemned the announcement while the Palestinian Authority has celebrated it. The Wednesday statement follows a recent court ruling that the ICC has the jurisdiction to probe alleged war crimes. The US questioned the judgement while Israel rejected it.
The ICC prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, will be replaced in June due to routine ICC processes. She did not specify which events will be investigated, however, previous statements indicate discontent with actions taken by Israel and the Palestinian Islamist group Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. There were several bloody clashes between the two groups during the summer of 2014. The investigation will also examine whether the building of Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem are sanctioned or constitute war crimes. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the move, calling it anti-sematic.
Read More: ICC to Probe Alleged War Crimes in Palestinian Territories
