Israel Won’t Cooperate With ICC’s War Crimes Probe, Report Says
Israel Won’t Cooperate With ICC’s War Crimes Probe, Ynet Says
(Bloomberg) -- Israel won’t cooperate with the International Criminal Court’s decision to investigate it for alleged war crimes against the Palestinians, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said on Thursday.
The government will inform ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda that she has no authority to open an investigation against Israel, according to the statement. The decision not to cooperate with the probe was made at a meeting with senior officials including Defense Minister Benny Gantz and Attorney General Avihai Mandelblit.
Israel has challenged the ICC’s jurisdiction on the ground that it is not a member state and the Palestinian Authority, which sought the investigation, is also not a state.
The tribunal, however, has ruled that its jurisdiction applies to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem, territories Israel captured in the 1967 Middle East war that the Palestinians claim for a future independent state.
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