Mexico, Chile submit case to ICC against Israeli crimes in Gaza
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The two countries say the action comes after "growing concern" regarding the civilian casualties in Gaza.
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Mohammad Shouman carries the body of his daughter Masa who was killed in Israeli bombardment of the Gaza Strip during her funeral in Rafah on January 17, 2024. (AP)
Mexico and Chile filed a lawsuit with the International Criminal Court (ICC) on Thursday, requesting that it probe crimes committed against Palestinians.
According to Anadolu Agency, Mexico's Foreign Ministry called the ICC the best platform for investigating the ongoing war on Gaza, citing it as the most appropriate entity to potentially establish criminal culpability for any offending party.
In a statement, the two countries wrote that the action comes after "growing concern" regarding the civilian casualties in Gaza and "the alleged continued commission of crimes under the Court's jurisdiction" since October 7.
It referenced "numerous United Nations reports" that documented various incidents of violence that might be considered crimes under the Rome Statute by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Furthermore, Mexico stated that Palestine is unable to investigate or punish any crimes committed on its territory or by its citizens owing to the near-total collapse of its national judicial system.
However, "Israel" and the United States are not members of the ICC, hence the Court has no jurisdiction over either state or activities done within their boundaries.
Mexico endorsed a "two-state solution" and reiterated its "commitment to international justice, the prevention of genocide and other war crimes and crimes against humanity."
The statement also expressed that such actions can "open spaces for an immediate ceasefire and contribute to paving the way for lasting peace in the region based on the solution of two States living side by side within secure and internationally recognized borders."
The Israeli occupation continues to commit massacres against civilians in Gaza as the brutal war on the Strip approaches its 4-month mark, with communication and internet services still cut off.
The most recent data revealed by the Palestinian Health Ministry in Gaza that over 2,000 massacres have been committed since October 7, while the civilian death toll has risen due to the Israeli war to 24,762 and the number of injured rose to 62,108.
US, UK to be held accountable
In response to the high civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip, on December 29, South Africa filed a genocide case against "Israel" at the ICJ. The claim asserted that "Israel's" military campaign specifically targets Palestinians as a national, racial, and ethnic group.
Other countries that have offered to back South Africa's case against "Israel" include Cuba, Bangladesh, the world's largest Islamic institution located in Iraq Al-Azhar, the Maldives, Pakistan, and Namibia.
In addition, Anadolu reported that nearly 50 South African lawyers, led by attorney Wikus Van Rensburg, are gearing up to file a lawsuit against the United States and the United Kingdom, asserting their complicity in Israeli forces' war crimes in Palestine.
Rensburg, the driving force behind the legal action, aims to prosecute those complicit in the crimes through civilian courts, collaborating with legal professionals in the US and UK.
In an interview for Anadolu, Rensburg emphasized the need to hold the US accountable for its actions and highlighted the forthcoming legal proceedings against Washington and London.
"The United States must now be held accountable for the crimes it committed," Rensburg stated. "No one says stop, enough is enough."
