US 'firmly' opposes ICC probe into Israeli 'war crimes' against Palestinians, Pompeo says

US 'firmly' opposes ICC probe into Israeli 'war crimes' against Palestinians, Pompeo says
US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has slammed an International Criminal Court probe into alleged Israeli war crimes, accusing the court of unfairly targeting the Jewish state.
MENA
2 min read
The New Arab & agencies
21 December, 2019
Mike Pompeo said the probe 'seeks to target Israel unfairly' [Getty]

The United States is "firmly" opposed to an International Criminal Court probe into alleged Israeli war crimes, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo said on Friday.

A move by the court's chief prosecutor to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories has sparked a furious reaction from Israel, Washington's top ally in the region.

"We firmly oppose this and any other action that seeks to target Israel unfairly," Pompeo said.

"We do not believe the Palestinians qualify as a sovereign state, and they therefore are not qualified to obtain full membership, or participate as a state in international organisations, entities, or conferences, including the ICC."

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said on Friday she wanted to open a full investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories, sparking a furious reaction from Israel.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the decision made the Hague-based court, which Israel has refused to sign up to since its creation in 2002, a "political tool" against the Jewish state.

The Palestinians welcomed the move by the ICC as a "long overdue step" following a nearly five-year preliminary probe by the prosecutor into the situation since the 2014 war in Gaza.

"I am satisfied that there is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation into the situation in Palestine," ICC prosecutor Bensouda said in a statement.

"In brief, I am satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip," she added, without specifying the perpetrators of the alleged crimes.

She said that before opening a full probe, she would ask the ICC to rule on the territory over which it has jurisdiction because of the "unique and highly contested legal and factual issues attaching to this situation."

Agencies contributed to this report.

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