ICC receives Palestine referral from Rome Statute parties

The International Criminal Court (ICC) released a statement on Nov. 17 saying it received a referral from Bangladesh, Bolivia, Comoros, Djibouti and South Africa regarding the Situation in the State of Palestine. ICC prosecutor Karim AA Khan KC affirmed that an investigation is currently ongoing with its own dedicated team. The five countries made the ICC referral in accordance with their powers under the Rome Statute. All five of the referring countries are party to the Rome Statute, as is the State of Palestine; Israel is not.

The current war between Israel and Hamas has lasted over 40 days, killing more than 11,000 Palestinians and 1,200 Israelis, mostly civilians. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has called for a humanitarian ceasefire and measures to prevent further atrocities.

From Jurist, Nov. 19. Used with permission.

Notes: As accusations of genocide mount against Israel, it continues to reject the authority of the International Criminal Court.

Bolivia cut off diplomatic relations with Israel Oct. 31. Bolivia previously broke ties with Israel in 2009 under President Evo Morales in protest of Israel’s actions in Gaza. In 2020, right-wing President Jeanine Áñez re-established ties. (The Hill)

António Guterres came under harsh criticism from Israel after saying Oct. 24: “It is important to…recognize the attacks by Hamas did not happen in a vacuum. The Palestinian people have been subjected to 56 years of suffocating occupation.” (The Guardian)