Occupied Jerusalem-Sana
The Palestinians welcomed the announcement by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court that the preliminary study phase of the investigation into the crimes of the Israeli occupation in the Occupied Palestinian Territories has ended, describing that step as historic and the first of its kind that paves the way for holding the occupation officials accountable for their crimes that amount to war crimes.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas confirmed that this day is historic for the Palestinian people, as it is now possible for any Palestinian to file a case before the criminal court against the occupation officials, pointing out that as of yesterday, the International Criminal Court will begin accepting the cases previously presented by the Palestinians.
Abbas said that after four years of work and close follow-up and providing all necessary things about the occupation crimes committed against the Palestinians, the court’s decision was issued, which was following up and studying the findings, laws and issues.
Palestinian Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh stressed that the announcement by the Office of the Prosecutor of the Criminal Court is a positive and fair step that increases Palestinian confidence in the integrity of the international human rights institution and its standing alongside justice, despite all the pressures exerted by the Israeli occupation authorities.
Shtayyeh asked the Pre-Trial Chamber to expedite the issuance of the decision and not to waste any more time in opening a formal investigation into the crimes committed against the Palestinian people.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs indicated that this step is the first of its kind taken by the Prosecutor since she announced the start of the initial study on the 16th of January 2015, pointing out that it is an important development to open an investigation into the crimes of the Israeli occupation against the Palestinians.
The Palestinian Foreign Ministry called for the necessity of issuing an urgent judgment from the first preliminary circle in line with the time frame specified in the guide of the practices of the International Criminal Court, which will allow the Prosecutor to proceed with the opening of a criminal investigation without any additional delay, confirming that it will continue to cooperate with the court until justice is done for the victims of the Palestinian people And hold the Israeli occupation officials accountable for their crimes.
The Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine saw in a statement that the decision of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to open an investigation of the crimes of the occupation in the Palestinian territories is a major step in the right direction to hold the Israeli war criminals accountable for the violations they committed against the Palestinian people that amount to war crimes.
Secretary of the Executive Committee of the PLO, Saeb Erekat, pointed out that the court’s announcement is a positive step that will end the continuous crimes committed by the occupation forces in the Palestinian territories and the impunity of the perpetrators and a message of hope to the Palestinian people that justice is possible.
Erekat explained that Palestine's accession to the International Criminal Court gives the court full legal authority to investigate war crimes committed by the occupation in the Palestinian territories in accordance with the Rome Charter.
For its part, Hanan Ashrawi, a member of the Executive Committee of the PLO, pointed out that the announcement of the court is a step in the right direction and paving the way for an official investigation into the crimes committed by the occupation against the Palestinians. She said we expect the Pre-Trial Chamber of the International Criminal Court to complete the consultation on this request quickly and return with a positive decision until The Prosecutor can open an investigation without any delay in the crimes stipulated in the Rome Charter and committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people.
Ashrawi stressed that the Palestinian people will continue to pursue the occupation in all available international forums to hold them accountable for their crimes until the end of the occupation and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state with Jerusalem as its capital.
In turn, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Wasel Abu Yousef, explained that this step is important to pursue the occupation officials for their crimes committed against the Palestinians, pointing out that the Palestinians are waiting for the International Court to open comprehensive investigations leading to the achievement of international justice after this long record of crimes committed by the occupation against the Palestinian people .
Secretary-General of the Palestinian National Initiative Mustafa Al-Barghouthi stressed that the opening of the investigation was long delayed, but the Palestinians are confident in the work of the international criminal and the investigation must accompany the boycott of the international community on the Israeli occupation and impose sanctions on it for its massacres and crimes committed against the Palestinians of ethnic cleansing, settlement, Judaization and house demolitions.
Member of the Political Bureau of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, Maryam Abu Daqqa, indicated that what is important in the decision of the international criminal is the actual implementation, explaining that the Palestinian people have bitter experiences with international decisions that did not find their way to implementation, therefore work must be taken to address the attempts of the American administration and the occupation to obstruct the work of the court and rally All energies to reach the stage of achieving international justice absent due to the American bias and silence of the international community.
In turn, a member of the Political Bureau of the Palestinian People’s Party, Ghassan Al-Khatib, stated that the important thing is to open a serious investigation into the crimes of the occupation against the Palestinian people and condemn the occupation for these crimes, and this requires the International Criminal Court not to bow to American and Israeli pressure and that the investigations reach their end to achieve justice for the Palestinian people.
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