Israel & the International Criminal Court

More on the Palestinians’ third attempt to pursue Israel at the ICC

Unofficial Response of the State of Israel to the December 2019 Request of the Prosecutor to the Pre-Trial Chamber
  • December 20, 2019: Document by Israel's Office of the Attorney General: THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT'S LACK OF JURISDICTION OVER THE SO-CALLED 'SITUATION IN PALESTINE'" [Editor's note: The document was not formally submitted to the ICC, but was referenced in the Supplementary information to the Prosecution request pursuant to article 19(3) for a ruling on the Court's territorial jurisdiction in Palestine]
  • December 20, 2019: Synopsis by the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs: THE INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT'S LACK OF JURISDICTION OVER THE SO-CALLED 'SITUATION IN PALESTINE'" [Editor's note: The synopsis was not formally submitted to the ICC, but was referenced in the Supplementary information to the Prosecution request pursuant to article 19(3) for a ruling on the Court's territorial jurisdiction in Palestine]
Additional Reports of Official Palestinian Actions Regarding the ICC
  • "Foreign Ministry following up with ICC on cold-blooded murder of Palestinian mother" Wafa News, August 8, 2020
  • "PA complains to ICC over Israeli construction in E1" Arutz Sheva, March 2, 2020
  • "Foreign Ministry condemns Israeli 'nature reserves' settlements, takes the issue to ICC" Wafa News, January 15, 2020
  • "Government to refer file of sick prisoners in Israeli detention to ICC" Wafa News, December 30, 2019
  • "President Abbas says he is determined to pursue Israel at the International Criminal Court" Wafa News, December 29, 2019
  • "Foreign Ministry: Israeli official guarantees for himself war criminal classification at ICC" Wafa News, December 28, 2019
  • "Foreign Ministry expresses 'great concern' over ICC Prosecutor's annual report" Wafa News, December 5, 2019
  • "PA to Complain to ICC Against Beit El Construction" Arutz Sheva, Dalit Halevi, August 8, 2019
  • "Erekat: Leadership decided to cancel all agreements with Israel" Wafa News, July 22, 2019
  • "Ashrawi: ICC Prosecutor must immediately launch an investigation into Israeli war crimes" Wafa News, July 22, 2019
  • "Palestine to step up efforts to ensure legal accountability for Israeli crimes, says ministry" Wafa News, July 22, 2019
  • "Dr. Erekat on Israel's Approval of New Illegal Settlement Units and Projects in Occupied Palestine" Palestine Liberation Organization, Negotiation Affairs Department, December 26, 2018
  • "Erekat sends ICC prosecutor letter on Israeli, war crimes, crimes against humanity" Wafa News, October 17, 2018
  • "Palestinians take Khan al-Ahmar case to ICC" The Jerusalem Post, Khaled Abu Toameh, Tovah Lazaroff, September 12, 2018
  • "PLO Secretary-General: Nation-State Law destroys two-state solution" The Jerusalem Post, Khaled Abu Toameh, July 23, 2018
  • "PA calls to try Public Security Minister in The Hague" Arutz Sheva, Dalit Halevy, June 6, 2018
  • "Palestinians press ICC to probe Israel for war crimes" The Jerusalem Post, May 22, 2018
  • "PA to take Israel to ICC over settlements in occupied Palestine" Wafa News, May 14, 2018
  • "Palestine to take Israel to ICC over prisoners, says official" Wafa News, May 7, 2018
  • "PLO official calls for ICC probe into Israeli 'crimes'" Anadolu Agency, April 21, 2018
  • "In Harsh Letter, Top Palestinian Negotiator Tells Foreign Diplomats Trump Envoy Greenblatt Has Turned Into Israel's Spokesman" Haaretz, April 13, 2018
  • "Palestinians pursuing diplomatic war against US and Israel at UN" World Israel News, February 4, 2018
  • "Foreign affairs ministry calls on ICC to stop escalating Israeli violence" Wafa News, January 17, 2018
  • "PLO urges ICC to investigate Israel's settlement activities, UN to check its nuclear facilities" Wafa News, September 25, 2017
  • "Statement of Mahmoud Abbas, President of the 'State of Palestine,' to the UN General Assembly, General Debate" September 20, 2017
      • "We have called on the International Criminal Court. This is our right. If nobody wants to listen to us, then let us seek all avenues. So we have called on the International Criminal Court to open an investigation and to prosecute Israeli officials for their involvement in settlement activities and aggressions against our people and we will continue to pursue our accessions to international conventions, protocols, and organizations, as Palestine has acquired Observer status in accordance with United Nations General Assembly Resolution 67/19 of 2012. I will call for convening of the Palestinian National Council in the near future to operationalize this strategic review."
  • "Palestine to submit Israeli settlements' file to ICC" Petra News Agency, July 26, 2017
  • "Abbas: Palestinians Pushing International Courts to Move Against Israeli Settlements" The Jerusalem Post, February 7, 2017
  • "Erekat Calls on ICC to Open Investigation Into Israeli Settlement Enterprise" Wafa News , January 31, 2017
  • "Abbas Confidant: We'll Take 'Hundreds' of Israeli Soldiers to International Criminal Court This Year" The Times of Israel , December 26, 2016
  • "Erekat: Security Council Decision Will Be Followed By Other Steps" Wafa News , December 26, 2016
  • "PA Submits More Anti-Israel Material to ICC" Arutz Sheva, Dalit Halevi, August 16, 2016
  • "PA Mulling New Lawsuits Against Israel at ICC" Arutz Sheva, Dalit Halevi, August 3, 2016
  • "Palestinian Authority Presents Claims Against Israel to International Criminal Court" Haaretz, Jack Khoury, March 21, 2016
  • "PA to Give ICC Video of Police Shouting at Teen Terror Suspect" The Times of Israel, Times of Israel Staff, November 11, 2015
  • "President of Palestine, H.E. Mr Mahmoud Abbas visits the ICC Prosecutor" International Criminal Court, October 30, 2015
  • "Statement of Mahmoud Abbas, President of the 'State of Palestine,' to the UN General Assembly, General Debate" September 30, 2015

"...the State of Palestine will continue in its efforts to accede to international conventions and organizations, and it will move forward in the defense of its people under occupation through all available legal and peaceful means, including as a High Contracting Party to the Geneva Conventions of 1949 and a State Party to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. Those who fear international law and international courts must cease committing all crimes."

  • "Palestinians File Report to ICC Over Deadly Arson Attack in Duma" Haaretz , Jack Khoury, August 3, 2015
  • "Palestinians Seek to Haul Israel Before ICC in Wake of Arson Attack, Abbas Says" The Jerusalem Post, JPost.com Staff, July 31, 2015
  • "Palestinians Submit First Case Material Against Israel to Hague Court" Reuters , Thomas Escritt, June 25, 2015
  • "Questions and Answers: Palestine's First Communication of Information to the International Criminal Court Regarding Violations of International Humanitarian and Human Rights Law" Palestine Liberation Organization, Negotiations Affairs Department, June 24, 2015
Ad Hoc Submissions to the Office of the Prosecutor

[Editor's Note: These are publicly available, known submissions to the Prosecutor; there may be others.]
  • Submissions to the Office of the Prosecutor
  • Articles and press releases revealing anti-Israel submissions to the Office of the Prosecutor

    Submissions to the Office of the Prosecutor:
      Positions challenging ICC jurisdiction over Israel:
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding Palestinian "Pay-to-Slay" Laws" Shurat Hadin, January 8, 2020
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding Palestinian "Pay-to-Slay" Laws" Shurat Hadin, November 25, 2019
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin To the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding war crimes committed by Khaled Mashal, Saleh al-Arouri, and Zaher Jabarin" Shurat Hadin, September 3, 2018
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding The Crimes Against Humanity committed by Majid Faraj" Shurat Hadin, January 5, 2015
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin To the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding The Crimes Against Humanity committed by Rami Hamdallah" Shurat Hadin, January 5, 2015
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin To the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding war crimes committed by Jibril Rajoub" Shurat Hadin, January 5, 2015
    • "Communication from Shurat Hadin To the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court regarding war crimes committed by Mahmoud Abbas (also known as Abu Mazen)" Shurat Hadin, November 11, 2014

      Anti-Israel submissions
    • "Joint Open Letter to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court: Time to Investigate Crimes in Palestine, Time for Justice" Al-Haq, April 29, 2020
    • "Joint Open Letter to the Office of the The Rights Forum calls for broad protest against passive ICC" The Rights Forum, November 27, 2019
    • "Palestinian Human Rights Organizations & Victims' Communication to the International Criminal Court Pursuant to Article 15 of the Rome Statute Requesting Investigation and Prosecution of The Illegal Closure of the Gaza Strip" Al-Haq, Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights, Palestinian Centre for Human Rights, and Aldameer Association for Human Rights, November 23, 2016
    Articles and press releases revealing anti-Israel submissions to the Office of the Prosecutor:
    • "Palestine: ICC case filed over systematic targeting of Palestinian journalists" The International Federation of Journalists, April 26, 2022
    • "Fresh complaint submitted to ICC over U.S.-Israel war crimes in Palestine" The Middle East Monitor, June 30, 2020
    • "ICC under pressure to open investigation into Israel war crimes" The Middle East Monitor, December 2, 2019
    • "New campaign to try Israeli leaders in international court" Arutz Sheva, Dalit Halevy, November 14, 2017
    • "Palestinian Human Rights Organisations Submit Evidence to the ICC Prosecutor on Crimes Committed in West Bank" Al-Haq, September 20, 2017
    • "ICC Receives Second War Crimes Communication from Palestinian Human Rights Organizations" Albawaba News, February 11, 2016
    • "Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Deliver Submission to the International Criminal Court on Alleged Israeli War Crimes and Crimes against Humanity During 2014 Gaza Offensive" AL-Haq Press Release, November 23, 2015