Israel will not be prosecuted before the International Criminal Court (ICC)

(Baonghean.vn) - More than four years after Israel attacked a humanitarian cargo ship, causing loss of life and property, the International Criminal Court (ICC) has finally ruled that it has no jurisdiction in the case.

After the verdict was announced, prosecutor Fatou Bensouda explained the court’s decision. According to Fatou, the judges concluded that “the jurisdiction of the ICC was recognized” on the humanitarian ships to Gaza, but that the crimes committed by Israel were not “serious enough to warrant further proceedings by the court.” The Rome Statute of the ICC stipulates that the ICC’s jurisdiction is primarily focused on large-scale war crimes or crimes that are part of a state’s policies or plans. Since the criteria for establishing a court under the Rome Statute were not met, the ICC has no jurisdiction in the case.

The Mavi-Marmara ship of the Gaza Freedom Flotila is led into the Israeli port of Ashdod on May 31, 2010 after being attacked by the Israeli army. Photo: Ariel Schalit.

In May 2010, a flotilla named “Gaza Freedom Flotila” consisting of 8 ships with 70 people from 40 countries carrying goods arrived in the Gaza Strip. The purpose of the trip was to bring aid to the people of the Gaza Strip in order to break the situation and consequences of the Israeli blockade of Gaza. The international community was very interested in this trip. However, at dawn on May 31, in international waters, Israeli commandos “searched” the Gaza Freedom Flotila while the flotilla was trying to approach the Gaza Strip, which was being blockaded by Israel. Nine Turkish people were killed during the “search”. The incident caused the diplomatic relations between Türkiye and Israel to freeze.

Already strained since Israel’s Operation Cast Lead, which killed many people in the Gaza Strip from December 2008 to January 2009, relations between Israel and Türkiye – strategic allies in the 1990s – deteriorated further after the attack. At the request of President Obama, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu officially apologized to Türkiye. Since then, officials from the two countries have met to discuss compensation for the victims’ families. This is also considered the first action to warm up the relationship between the two countries.

Chu Thanh– According to LeMonde 6/11