The chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court said on Wednesday she launched a formal probe into alleged crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, a move strongly opposed by Israel.
“Today, I confirm the initiation by the office of the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of an investigation respecting the situation in Palestine,” prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said in a statement.
The ICC ruled in February it had jurisdiction over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories. Judges said their decision was based on jurisdictional rules in The Hague-based court’s founding documents, and it does not imply any attempt to determine statehood or legal borders.
Israel, which is not a member of the court, has rejected its jurisdiction.
