Palestinians hail ICC ruling of prosecuting Israeli over occupying territories

An International Criminal Court (ICC) ruling that it has jurisdiction over war crimes committed in Israeli occupied territories has been hailed by Palestinian officials, who say the decision offers new hope for victims to access justice.

The decision by a three-judge tribunal on Friday will open the way for investigations into the expansion of Israeli settlements and alleged Israeli army violations of humanitarian law during the 2014 Gaza invasion.

In its decision, the ICC said that its jurisdiction “extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem.”

Hanan Ashrawi, a former member of the Palestine Liberation Organization’s executive committee, told Arab News that the ICC decision meant Israel will be “held to account.”

The ruling also showed that the court had refused to bow to intimidation by Donald Trump administration.