THE HAGUE, Netherlands (AP) — The executive prosecutor of the World Felony Courtroom rounded off a ancient first consult with to Israel and Ramallah via posting video and written messages on Sunday, pronouncing {that a} probe via the courtroom into imaginable crimes via Hamas militants and Israeli forces “is a concern for my place of work.”In a video message from Ramallah, the place he met with most sensible Palestinian leaders, Prosecutor Karim Khan mentioned the investigation that used to be introduced in 2021 is “shifting ahead at tempo, with rigor, with choice and with an insistence that we act now not on emotion however on forged proof.”There were common claims of breaches of global legislation via Hamas and Israeli forces since warfare erupted after the fatal Oct. 7 assaults via Hamas and different militants that killed about 1,200 other folks, most commonly civilians, in southern Israel. Round 240 other folks had been taken hostage.
The Well being Ministry in Hamas-ruled Gaza mentioned Saturday that the full dying toll within the strip for the reason that get started of the warfare had surpassed 15,200. The ministry does now not differentiate between civilian and combatant deaths, nevertheless it mentioned 70% of the lifeless had been ladies and kids. It mentioned greater than 40,000 other folks have been wounded for the reason that warfare started.
Khan mentioned in a written observation issued after his consult with that he witnessed “scenes of calculated cruelty” at places of the Oct. 7 assaults. All the way through the consult with, he spoke to members of the family of Israeli sufferers and known as for the instant and unconditional liberate of hostages taken via Hamas and different militants.
“The assaults in opposition to blameless Israeli civilians on Oct. 7 constitute one of the most maximum critical global crimes that surprise the sense of right and wrong of humanity, crimes which the ICC used to be established to handle,” Khan mentioned in his written observation, including that he and his prosecutors are operating “to carry the ones accountable to account.”In a observation launched via the Discussion board for Hostages and Lacking Households Discussion board, the households thanked Khan “for the peculiar choice to come back and stand via the households within the aftermath of the horrors perpetrated via Hamas in Israel on Oct. 7 and the ongoing detention of hostages. We think him to paintings to carry Hamas terrorists to justice for crimes in opposition to humanity and genocide.” Khan mentioned he is able to interact with native prosecutors consistent with the primary of complementarity — the ICC is a courtroom of closing hotel set as much as prosecute warfare crimes when native courts can’t or is not going to take motion. Israel isn’t a member state of the courtroom and does now not acknowledge its jurisdiction.
Khan additionally visited Palestinian officers in Ramallah, together with President Mahmoud Abbas, and spoke to Palestinian sufferers. He mentioned of the warfare in Gaza that preventing in “densely populated spaces the place combatants are speculated to be unlawfully embedded within the civilian inhabitants is inherently complicated, however global humanitarian legislation will have to nonetheless follow and the Israeli army is aware of the legislation that will have to be carried out.”He mentioned that Israel “has educated attorneys who advise commanders and a powerful machine supposed to verify compliance with global humanitarian legislation. Credible allegations of crimes all through the present battle must be the topic of well timed, impartial exam and investigation.”In his video message, Khan additionally mentioned that humanitarian assist will have to be allowed into Gaza.“In Gaza, it’s not appropriate — there’s no justification — for docs to accomplish operations with out mild, for kids to be operated upon with out anesthetics,” he mentioned. “Consider the ache of operations on kids, on any one, on any people, with out anesthetics. I additionally emphasised that Hamas will have to now not divert any assist that’s given.”Khan additionally expressed “profound worry” at what he known as “the numerous building up in incidents of assaults via Israeli settlers in opposition to Palestinian civilians within the West Financial institution.
“I emphasize, settler violence is unacceptable,” he mentioned in his video. “It’s one thing we’re investigating. We’ve got been investigating and we’re accelerating investigations. No Israeli settler armed with an ideology and a gun can suppose it’s open season on Palestinians.”Khan mentioned he would search to paintings with “all actors” within the battle to “be sure that when motion is taken via my place of work it’s finished at the foundation of purpose, verifiable proof which will stand scrutiny within the court docket and be sure that once we do continue we now have a practical prospect of conviction.”___Full AP protection at
