AMSTERDAM: The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Sunday called on Israel to respect the international rules of war and said he was accelerating his investigation into violence by Israeli settlers against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank.
“In Gaza, there is no justification for doctors to perform operations without light, for children to be operated upon without anaesthetics. Imagine the pain,” ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in a video message posted online after a four-day visit to Israel and the Palestinian Authority in the West Bank.
“I was crystal clear, that this is the time to comply with the law. If Israel doesn’t comply now, they shouldn’t complain later.”
Israel has vowed to annihilate Hamas and says its aim in Gaza is to destroy targets linked to the group, while urging civilians to leave those areas. The Iranian-backed Hamas is meanwhile sworn to Israel’s destruction.
Khan also called on Hamas to respect the rules of war and to not misuse any humanitarian aid that is brought into the besieged Gaza strip.
“Civilians must have access to basic food, water and desperately needed medical supplies, without further delay, and at pace and at scale.” The ICC prosecutor said atrocities committed by Hamas on Oct. 7 were “some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity,” and said his court was ready to assist Israel in investigating them and prosecuting those responsible. At the same time, he said violence by settlers in the West Bank was “unacceptable” and could also not go unpunished.
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