Call to prosecute Israeli top brass gathers pace

Dubai: The call to prosecute five Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for crimes they recently committed against humanity in Gaza, is gathering momentum, according to sources close to the court.

Gulf News has learnt that thousands of fax messages and e-mails have been submitted by individuals and groups from all over the world to prosecute military and political leaders in charge of the war on Gaza last month.

The International Coalition Against Impunity ICAI-Hokok initiated the campaign in the aftermath of Gaza war in which more than 1,300 people, the majority of them women and children , were killed by the Israeli army.

ICAI-Hokok is registered internationally and is affiliated to the United Nations ESCWA (Economic and Social Commission for Western Asia). The Israeli leaders named in the Hokok petition are: Ehud Olmert, Prime Minister, Ehud Barak, Defence Minister, Matan Vilnai, Deputy Defence Minister, Avraham Dichter, Minister of Interior Security and Gabi Ashkenzi, Armed Forces Chief of Staff. It said the five Israeli officials are jointly liable along with the entire Israeli government for the crimes committed in Gaza during the recent war.

Attorney May Khansa, President of Hokok, which has branches in Madrid and Beirut, told Gulf News that she initiated the petition to criminalise five Israeli officials in October last year based on the blockade imposed on Gaza. But the later developments made filing the case against the Israeli officials even more urgent. The case has been filed in the court under OTP-CR-4425/08.

She said during her last visit to the court in The Hague, the office of the Public Prosecutor received the petition and the documents of the case and promised to initiate investigations promptly.

"The court issued me an appreciation letter thanking Hokuk and its members in their confidence in the court and promising that the investigators of the court will conduct an investigation into the case," Khansa told Gulf News in a telephone interview.

Khansa said the Israeli argument the government was defending its civilians against the attacks of Hamas is baseless because it has no value according to international law.

"Illegal attacks by Palestinian armed groups - if they were aimed at civilians, do not justify an illegal Israeli response," she said.

The referral petition to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court pointed out that the situation prevailing in Gaza, since 2005 warrants the arrest of the perpetrators for continuing crimes against Gaza, and a trial in the International Criminal Court before it is too late to stop a regionwide bloodbath in the occupied territories of Palestinian as a whole and in the Gaza Strip in particular.

Under article 98-2 of the Rome Statute, individuals and organisations may submit to the prosecutor at the International Criminal Court information on crimes within the jurisdiction of the court and the persecutor should analyse the information to determine whether there is a basis to launch an investigation. Sources close to the court did not elaborate whether the prosecutor has already started investigations into the Hokok claims.

Hokok called on the court to establish an emergency court in Gaza, where the crimes were committed. The court, the petition stated, will benefit from numerous testimonies, media and open source reports in addition to Hokok's own inquiry, on violations by Israel of international humanitarian law, war crimes, crimes against humanity, and elements of genocide in Gaza.

The petition said the situation in Gaza continues to constitute a threat to the lives of 1.5 million Palestinians, as well as a threat to international peace and security and the court has to interfere promptly.

Should Israeli leaders be prosecuted for war crimes? Do you think Israel feels immune to interventional law? Fill in the form bellow to send your comments.

Excellent! Keep up the pressure on them for committing terrorism and war crimes against humanity! The Palestinian victims demand JUSTICE
Samaoen Othman
Cape Town,South Africa
Posted: February 03, 2009, 14:17

Yes, they have. Israel is always protected by America. There is no immunity in the international law.
From A Reader
Zwolle,Netherlands
Posted: February 03, 2009, 12:51

They should be prosecuted.
Ahmad
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2009, 11:24

Yes sure! they have to be procecuted soon to get the justice for humanity.
Abdul Gafour
Dubai,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2009, 11:05

I agree. Israeli leaders must be prosecuted for war crimes on Palestine that have gone one for manyyears.
Amir Siddiqui
Lahore,Pakistan
Posted: February 03, 2009, 10:41

Israel leaders should be prosecuted, these are the the worst crimes committed against innocent women and children. I think Israel has always disregarded any law.
Shireen
Johannesburg,South Africa
Posted: February 03, 2009, 10:17

Of course they should get prosecuted. They have to be stopped from committing more crimes in Palestine. They have already occupied much of the Palestine land and killed several innocent lives, including children.
Mohammad Hamed
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2009, 10:15

The leaders should be prosectued. Israel thinks because they have the backing of the US, they can do whatever they feel like. This is a major ignorance on their part. Hammas' killing of Israelis does not warrant the murder of hundreds of people, most of them innocent, most of them children. By doing so, all they have accomplished is more hatred for Israel on the Arab front and the extinguishment of the peace flame in that area.
Aaron
Abu Dhabi,UAE
Posted: February 03, 2009, 09:32