Palestinians challenge Israeli impunity in The Hague

Palestinians challenge Israeli impunity in The Hague

Last week in The Hague Palestinian human rights organizations submitted to the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court extensive documentation of war crimes and crimes against humanity committed by Israeli military forces during the “Operation Protective Edge” assault on Gaza in 2014. CCR supported the organizations, including long-time partners Palestinian Center for Human Rights and Al-Haq, in preparing the submission, and Senior Staff Attorney Katie Gallagher joined the delegation that met with ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda last Monday. The ICC was created precisely for the purpose of ensuring criminal accountability for crimes on the scale of those committed during the 51-day assault on occupied Gaza last year, in which more than 1,540 civilians – including 556 children – were killed. In a statement commenting on the significance of the submission, the first of its kind, CCR said, “the ICC, as the court of last resort, represents the only hope for justice for Palestinians” and called for “its judicial independence to be respected as it considers the evidence presented…. The United States must recognize that peace cannot come without justice.” CCR’s support for this effort is part of our long-standing Palestinian solidarity work.