ICC urged to issue arrest warrants for all Israelis, foreign officials inciting genocide against Palestinians

The International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor has been urged to issue arrest warrants for all Israeli and other foreign officials who advocate for and incite genocide against the Palestinian people.

This is contained in a statement issued by the Embassy of the State of Palestine to the Federal Republic of Nigeria and made available to newsmen on Monday in Abuja.

The embassy also called on the ICC to establish and open a new office in the Occupied Palestinian Territories to investigate the previous Israeli aggressions and the ongoing genocide war.

“By doing so the court will be able to meet directly with the victims or / and their families, cooperate with the Palestinians national authorities, and the specialized local bodies”, the embassy said in the statement.

It further condemned threats and intimidation against the ICC and its officials and consider its role in preventing impunity to be essential, stressing that those who do not abide by and comply with international law should not complain when the UN high court takes action.

“We call on States parties to the 1949 Geneva Convention to fulfill their obligations based on the principle of universal jurisdiction, which include, among other things, opening a criminal investigation in their national courts to prosecute and arrest violators of the Convention.

The statement noted that: “Since May 6, the start of the new Israeli military offensive round on Rafah and the takeover of the only crossing point connecting Gaza to the world, nearly 800,000 Palestinians were displaced and forcibly evacuated from Rafah towards the north. isafe.”

“As of May 22, there have been 35,647 Palestinian martyrs, 79,852 injuries, and 10,000 missing individuals. It is worth noting that nearly 72% of them are women and children.

“285 square kilometers, or approximately 78 per cent of the Gaza Strip are now subject to evacuation orders by the Israeli military.”

“only five bakeries remain operational in all of Gaza. Nearly a dozen others have ceased operations due to fuel and supply shortages.

“Since October 7 and as of May 19, the number of detainees has reached 8,775. All Palestinian prisoners and detainees are subjected to ill-treatment, starvation, medical neglect, and dehumanization among a list of other Israeli torture methods and measures. We call on the International Committee of the Red Cross, the United Nations and the Human Rights Council to adhere to their mandate and conduct periodic visits to Palestinian prisoners to ensure that they are treated in accordance with the requirements of international law and Israeli adherence to its obligations as an occupying Power, as well as to report and document their conditions.

“As of 11 May, up to 1.7 million people (over 75 per cent of the population) have been displaced across the Gaza Strip, the majority multiple times… Families are forced to move repeatedly in search of safety. As of 12 May, the total number of UNRWA colleagues killed since the beginning of hostilities is 189, an increase of one since the last report.”

“Upon the request of South Africa, the ICJ started another round of hearings last Thursday, May 16. We call for the ICC to issue a decisive and clear cut order to stop the Israeli genocide war, if it’s not now, then when, if it’s not the ICJ, then who? It queried.