CAIRO, Mar 4 (NNN-MENA) – Arab foreign ministers, called on the International Criminal Court (ICC), to swiftly start a criminal investigation into alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity, committed by Israel against the Palestinian people.
In a resolution issued during the 155th ordinary session of the Arab League Council held here, the ministers called on the international community to pressure Israel, not to obstruct the upcoming Palestinian general elections in East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied Palestinian territories.
The ministers also welcomed the ICC’s decision on Feb 5, which stipulated that the court’s territorial jurisdiction in Palestine extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza, the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, paving the way for a criminal investigation.
The ministers expressed support for holding an international conference, to restart negotiations based on international resolutions, the land for peace principle and the two-state solution.
They affirmed that any peace plan that is inconsistent with the international references of the Middle East peace process is rejected and will not succeed, rejecting any political or financial pressure exerted on the Palestinian people and its leadership, aimed at imposing unfair solutions to the Palestinian issue.
The ministers also condemned Israel’s settlement measures and called on the UN Security Council, to assume its responsibilities and stop the construction and expansion of settlements on occupied Palestinian land.
Earlier yesterday, ICC chief prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, announced she was launching a probe into alleged crimes committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, saying that, the probe will be conducted “independently, impartially and objectively without fear or favour.”
Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, condemned the ICC’s war crimes investigation into Israeli policies in the Palestinian territories, accusing the court of “hypocrisy and anti-Semitism” and vowing to “fight for the truth.”– NNN-MENA
