Palestine to sue Israel before ICC for ‘war crimes’

By Qays Abu Samra

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestine will lodge a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Israel on Tuesday over its settlement building and “war crimes” in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Malki will submit the complaint to the ICC’s chief prosecutor on Tuesday, the Foreign Ministry said in a statement on Monday.

Al-Malki is expected to hold a press conference on Tuesday after submitting the complaint.

“The Palestinian leadership will spare no effort to protect the Palestinian people and their national rights against occupation crimes,” ministry official Omar Awadallah told Anadolu Agency.

There was no comment from Israel on the Palestinian move.

Since March 30, more than 110 Palestinians have been killed and thousands injured by Israeli gunfire during anti-occupation rallies along border of the Gaza Strip.

In late December, 2014, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed the Rome convention and appendixes related to the ICC, which accepted the Palestinian request to become one of its members in April 2015.