Arab League demands International Criminal Court to prosecute Israeli officials who stand behind 'war crimes' against Palestinians

CAIRO – 16 May 2021: In a statement released by the Arab League on Saturday, the regional organization demanded the International Criminal Court (ICC) to accelerate its investigation and begin prosecuting Israeli officials who stand behind "war crimes" against Palestinians and humanity.

The Arab League asserted that the ICC must stop the penalty evasion policy and achieve justice that has been absent.

The statement condemned the war crimes and Israeli aggression against Palestinians in Gaza Strip as well as ethnic cleansing committed by the occupation authorities in Jerusalem and its neighbors.

On the 73rd anniversary of the declaration of the Israeli state, the statement urged holding the occupation authorities fully accountable for such aggressive practices and escalation on Palestinian authorities.

It also demanded the international community, the international quartet (Egypt, Jordan, Germany, and France), regional organizations, and the United Nations Security Council to immediately and firmly intervene to bring that misery that began in 1948 to a halt.

The Arab League noted that the Palestinian people still endures the repercussions of the declaration of the Israeli state in 1948 embodied in diaspora, homelessness, and suffering among Palestinians who have been subject to ethnic cleansing.

Shelling and airstrikes by the Israeli army against Gaza Strip since May 10 incurred 145 deaths, and 1,100 injuries, including 38 serious ones. Victims include 41 children while there are 313 children and 206 women among the injured.

The strikes also caused the destruction of more than 200 residential units and 31 educational establishments, including schools, colleges, and vocational training centers so as hundreds of families fled from the North to the South.