International Criminal Court prosecutor Fatou Bensouda initiated a war crime investigation into Israeli actions in Palestinian territories today. She wrote in a statement, "I confirm the initiation by the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court of an investigation respecting the Situation in Palestine. The investigation will cover crimes within the jurisdiction of the Court that are alleged to have been committed in the Situation since 13 June 2014, the date to which reference is made in the Referral of the Situation to my Office."
Bensouda called on Palestinian and Israeli victims and affected communities to be patient, noting, "The ICC is not a panacea, but only seeks to discharge the responsibility that the international community has entrusted to it, which is to promote accountability for Rome Statute crimes, regardless of the perpetrator, in an effort to deter such crimes."
