Activist groups around the world are heralding the Dec. 20 announcement by chief prosecutor for the International Criminal Court (ICC) Fatou Bensouda, who said, “I am satisfied that war crimes have been or are being committed in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.” Pending confirmation from the court that it has jurisdiction over the Palestinian territories, Bensouda recommended the ICC pursue a full investigation.

However, Palestinians literally confined to those territories by the Israeli blockade are more skeptical — if not outright dismissive.

“[An investigation] is all about reliving the pain, the harsh memories, over and over again,” said Majdi Wahdan, who lost 12 members of his family — including his parents and two sisters — in the 2014 Israeli war on Gaza. “But nothing will happen; it will produce another report and the world will move on. International law never ends up changing anything on the ground.”

Wahdan, 36, used to support his extended family, including his own three children, by farming. But his land is close to the Israel border and he’s concluded it’s simply too unsafe. Now, he is dependent on aid. After the 2014 war, he sought help from many human rights organizations, to no avail. Even surviving relatives who needed medical care outside Gaza were not able to obtain permission.