Palestinian Foreign Minister Riad Al-Maliki said that the State of Palestine has recently submitted its response to the International Criminal Court (ICC), which requested that it be provided with additional information about President Mahmoud Abbas’ speech in response to illegal Israeli annexation scheme.
Al-Maliki said that on May 26, the ICC’s Pre-Trial Chamber issued an “order requesting additional information” regarding the statement attributed to Abbas on May 19, ending all relations with Israel.
The ICC asked Palestine to provide “additional information on this statement, including on the question whether it pertains to any of the Oslo agreements between Palestine and Israel.”
Al-Maliki noted that the State of Palestine indicated that the president’s statement “was not made as part of the record of these proceedings and did not in any way purport to, nor does it, legally affect the question presently before the Chamber.”
He said that the response stressed that the President’s statement does not change the situation of the occupied Palestinian territory, but rather reaffirms Israel’s responsibility, as an occupying power, as per the Geneva Conventions and international law.
“The statement was made by President Mahmoud Abbas in response to Israel’s declared plan, as reflected in the Israeli government’s coalition agreement and repeated statements by Israeli officials, including the Prime Minister, to carry out the unlawful annexation of Palestinian territory under Israeli occupation. This plan, if carried out, would violate some of the most basic and critical elements of the legal framework upon which this Court is built,” said the Palestinian response to the ICC.
The Palestinian foreign minister said Abbas has emphasized “one important factor about these proceedings, which is that so far the ICC’s involvement in the situation in the State of Palestine has had no apparent dissuasive effect on Israel and its leadership in regards to its commission of crimes, which continue unabated.”
“This clearly calls for the Pre-Trial Chamber to act decisively and expeditiously in rendering its Decision so that the Prosecution can proceed with its investigation and so that Israeli officials are made aware that, at last, their criminal actions will carry personal consequences,” the Palestinian statement said.
