Israel is imposing collective punishment on Gaza: ICC prosecutor

ISTANBUL (AA) – Israel is imposing collective punishment on Gaza, said International Criminal Court (ICC) Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan, emphasizing that no one has immunity to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity.

In an interview with the British newspaper The Sunday Times, Khan discussed the reactions following his move to seek arrest warrants for senior Israeli officials.

“. . . nobody has a license to commit war crimes or crimes against humanity,” he said.

Khan said that when “a senior official” recently asked him what Israel can do, given that it doesn’t know “where the hostages were, in tunnels or houses, or how they were being kept,” he cited the UK’s stance against the Irish Republican Army (IRA) during Ireland’s struggle for independence.

“There were attempts to kill (Prime Minister) Margaret Thatcher. (Shadow Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) Airey Neave was blown up, (former Chief of the Defense Staff) Lord Mountbatten was blown up, there was the Enniskillen attack, we had kneecappings…But the British didn’t decide to say, ‘Well, on the Falls Road (the heart of Catholic Belfast) there undoubtedly may be some IRA members and Republican sympathizers, so therefore let’s drop a 2,000-pound bomb on the Falls Road.’ You can’t do that.”

– Threats every day – 

Regarding threats against the ICC, Khan said that every day, the ICC receives threatening messages and suffers other types of pressure.

He noted that the ICC is currently conducting active investigations in the Philippines, Afghanistan, Myanmar, Bangladesh, Latin America, Georgia, Ukraine and Palestine.

He said that while they may not be perfect, they are sincere and make decisions based on evidence rather than being swayed by political convenience.

– Amputations without anesthesia –

Khan highlighted reports from major aid organizations about emaciated children and dire medical conditions in Gaza.

He said both American and British doctors have reported performing amputations without anesthesia and noted instances of infants dying in incubators due to power cuts and people dying from a lack of insulin.

He questioned the relevance of the Geneva Conventions if these actions are considered compliant with international humanitarian law.

Khan also indicated that he had brought together international law experts to prepare separate reports.

He described these experts as highly respected lawyers who have consistently defended principles throughout their careers.

On May 20, Khan announced that he was seeking arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.

According to a statement from the ICC, he also sought arrest warrants for Hamas Political Bureau Chief Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas leader in Gaza Yahya Sinwar and Mohammed Deif, the leader of Hamas’s military wing, the Al-Qassam Brigades.