Palestinians Push 'War Crimes' Charges Against Israel

The Palestinian Authority's foreign minister is visiting the Netherlands to present the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague with a file documenting alleged war crimes against Israel.

The petition accuses Israel of war crimes in Judea, Gaza, and eastern Jerusalem, called "occupied territories" by Palestinian officials.

The move is part of the Palestinians' diplomatic war against Israel. The Palestinian Authority joined the ICC earlier this year. Israel is not a member.

ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda is determining whether there is enough evidence to merit a full-scale investigation of Israel.

The Ma'an news agency, the official agency of the Palestinian Authority, reports the petition centers on Operation Protective Edge, Israel's military answer to terrorist rocket attacks on Israel in the summer of 2014, as well as "Israeli settlement activity" and the plight of Palestinian prisoners arrested by Israel.

Palestinian spokesman Mustafa Barghouti said, "Our aim is to establish war crimes in order that an investigation by the chief prosecutor's office is carried out and to remove immunity from Israel and its leaders, achieve justice, apply human rights conventions, protect Palestinians, and hold criminals accountable for their crimes."

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu strongly criticized the ICC's decision to give the Palestinians membership in January, saying "It's absurd of the ICC to ignore international law and agreements under which the Palestinians don't have a state and can only get one through direct negotiations with Israel."

The U.S. State Department said of the investigation of Israel that it is "a tragic irony that Israel, which has withstood thousands of terrorist rockets fired at its civilians and its neighborhoods, is now being scrutinized by the ICC."