GENEVA, April 8, 2018 (WAFA) – Violence against civilians, such as Israel‘s use of lethal force against protesters in Gaza, could constitute war crime, the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, said in a statement on Sunday reacting to the Israel‘s recent killing of Palestinian protesters at the Gaza border.

"It is with grave concern that I note the violence and deteriorating situation in the Gaza Strip in the context of recent mass demonstrations," said Bensouda, referring to the Israeli army killing of 29 Gaza Palestinians and injuring of at least 2000 others, dozens of them are in critical condition, in the last two weeks during mass protests near the border with Israel.

"Violence against civilians - in a situation such as the one prevailing in Gaza – could constitute crimes under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court," she said.

Bensouda said her office is holding preliminary examination of the situation in Palestine, stressing, "While a preliminary examination is not an investigation, any new alleged crime committed in the context of the situation in Palestine may be subjected to my Office‘s scrutiny. This applies to the events of the past weeks and to any future incident."

She said that her office is going to continue to watch the situation in Gaza as more demonstrations are planned in the coming weeks, adding that her office "will continue to closely watch the situation and will record any instance of incitement or resort to unlawful force."

While the ICC prosecutor has urged "all those concerned to refrain from further escalating this tragic situation," she stressed that, "Any person who incites or engages in acts of violence including by ordering, requesting, encouraging or contributing in any other manner to the commission of crimes within ICC‘s jurisdiction is liable to prosecution before the Court, with full respect for the principle of complementarity."

M.K.