Israel on Thursday said it would formally reject the International Criminal Court's decision to launch a probe into potential war crimes in the Palestinian territories, denying that it has committed such crimes and saying the court lacks the jurisdiction to investigate.
A panel of judges at the ICC ruled in February that the court does have jurisdiction, allowing the investigation to proceed. Israel's response to a formal notification sent out last month is not expected to reopen that debate, though judges may reconsider the issue of jurisdiction later in the process.
The court is expected to look at possible war crimes committed by Israelis forces and Palestinian militants during and after the 2014 Gaza war, as well as Israel's establishment of settlements in the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem that now house over 700,000 settlers. International law prohibits the transfer of civilians into occupied territory.
"In addition to totally rejecting the claim that Israel commits war crimes, Israel reiterates its unequivocal position that The Hague Tribunal has no authority to open an investigation against it,” the government said in a statement, detailing a letter it plans to send to the ICC.
“Israel is committed to the rule of law and will continue to investigate any charges against it regardless of the source, and it expects the tribunal to refrain from violating its authority and sovereignty," the statement said.
Had Israel informed the court that it was in fact carrying out its own probe into alleged war crimes perpetrators, it could have asked for a deferral.
