War Crimes investigation

The prosecutor of the international criminal court has announced that her office will open a formal investigation into war crimes in Palestine that will examine both sides in the conflict.

The court ruled on 5 February that it had jurisdiction in the case, a move that prompted swift rejection from the US and Israel.

  Guardian

Doesn't she know Israel is above the law?

“The decision to open an investigation followed a painstaking preliminary examination undertaken by my office that lasted close to five years,” the outgoing prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, said in a statement.

Bensouda said in December 2019 that “war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip”. She named both the Israel Defence Forces and armed Palestinian groups such as Hamas as possible perpetrators.

...but hey, do what you want...you will anyway.

UPDATE:

The Biden administration opposes and is disappointed with the decision by the International Criminal Court to pursue an investigation into alleged Israeli war crimes in the Palestinian territories, State Department spokesperson Ned Price said on Wednesday.

  The Hill

Well, that's a shocker.

Price said the ICC has “no jurisdiction over this matter," which he said "unfairly" targets the Jewish State.

“Israel is not a party to the ICC, and it has not consented to the court's jurisdiction and we have serious concerns about the ICC's attempts to exercise its jurisdiction over Israeli personnel,” Price said, and echoed the U.S. view that the Palestinians do not meet the qualifications for a sovereign state required for the ICC’s involvement.

[...]

Price further said that the Biden administration is reviewing an executive order from former President Trump that imposed sanctions on the ICC’s chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda and her top deputies over efforts investigating alleged war crimes by the U.S. in Afghanistan.

The sanctions, where Bensouda was added to the Specially Designated Nationals And Blocked Persons List, are typically used for terrorists and drug traffickers.

“Much as we disagree with the ICC's actions relating to the Palestinian situation, and of course to Afghanistan… we are thoroughly reviewing sanctions pursuant to Executive Order 13928, as we determine our next steps,” he said.

[...]

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry welcomed the decision by the ICC, saying in a statement that “this is a long-awaited step that serves Palestine’s tireless pursuit of justice and accountability, which are indispensable pillars of the peace the Palestinian people seek and deserve.”

But it was rejected by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, calling the announcement “absurd.”

“It's undiluted antisemitism and the height of hypocrisy,” he tweeted.

Ass.