THE HAGUE, Thursday, October 26, 2023 (WAFA0 - Minister of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates Riad Malki today met in The Hague with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Karim Khan, members of his office, his deputy, and those responsible for the situation in Palestine during which Malki presented Khan evidence of the recent Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip, which falls within the jurisdiction of the ICC and the open investigation into the situation in Palestine.

Malki, according to a statement, informed Khan “of the extent of the destruction and killing of children, women and civilians caused by Israel, the illegal occupation authority, without any accountability,” stressing “his role at this particular time to bring Israeli war criminals to international justice because of their systematic and wide-ranging policies,” and asked him “to look at the ongoing crimes of the occupation in the West Bank, including Jerusalem, and that many crimes are committed by colonial terrorists and the occupation army, including colonialism and premeditated murder, arbitrary arrest and destruction of property.”

He stressed the role of the Court and the Prosecutor in addressing accountability, redressing the victims of the Palestinian people, and achieving justice and protection. He also stressed the need for the criminal investigation to be completed urgently and for the Israeli war criminals to be brought to justice, arguing that the reason for the crimes committed by Israel and its officials today is the absence of accountability.

In turn, the ICC Prosecutor confirmed that the situation in Palestine, including the events in the Gaza Strip, is under his office’s criminal investigation and that their independent role and the transparency of the investigation are the basis for achieving justice.

M.K.