The Turkish authorities are considering how they can take Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes committed by the Israeli army in Gaza, where the death toll now exceeds 8,500, almost half of them children. While Turkey is not a signatory to the so-called Rome Statute, and therefore cannot appeal directly to the Court, Ankara can approach the ICC prosecutor’s office through government agencies and non-governmental organisations, and present evidence of war crimes that it can document; on the basis of this information, the prosecutor’s office could launch an investigation on its own initiative.
Evidence of alleged Israeli war crimes in Gaza, for which Turkey is already gathering evidence, would include the use of white phosphorus bombs against Palestinian civilians, or the bombing of hospitals, schools, refugee camps, mosques and churches. Just two days ago, ICC chief prosecutor Karim Khan warned the Israeli government that blocking humanitarian aid to Gaza could in itself constitute a war crime. “Blocking aid supplies, as provided for in the Geneva Convention, may constitute a crime that would fall within the jurisdiction of the court,” Khan said after visiting Egypt’s Rafah crossing.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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