ICC: No Cast Lead probe as PA not a state

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The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court announced Tuesday that the court will not accede to a 2009 Palestinian Authority request to investigate allegations of war crimes during the 2008-2009 Gaza conflict.

In a written ruling, Prosecutor Luis Moreno-Ocampo said that the court cannot investigate the PA's allegations because the court only has jurisdiction over recognized states.

The Office of the Prosecutor noted that while Palestine has been recognized as a state in bilateral relations by over 130 governments, by UN bodies and by other international organizations, the UN General Assembly has granted the PA the status of "observer" and not "non-member state".

Tuesday's long-anticipated decision is also a blow to the PA's ongoing battle for international community to recognize it as an independent state.

Had the ICC had accepted the PA's recognition of its jurisdiction, it would have also tacitly accepted its statehood.

ICC: No Cast Lead probe as PA not... JPost - Diplomacy & Politics

 

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