Coalition pursue legal action against Israelis accused of war crimes
The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICPJ) on March 18th announced a global initiative to pursue legal action against Israelis accused of involvement in war crimes in Gaza, the Middle East Eye reported.
The Global 195 initiative aims to use both domestic and international legal strategies to hold individuals accountable. These include Israeli soldiers.
Tayab Ali, ICJP’s director, highlighted the urgency of the initiative by referring to the hundreds of Palestinians killed in Israeli airstrikes after Israel broke its ceasefire with Hamas on March 18th.
Ali described the Global 195 as a vital step toward accountability in the face of ongoing violence. Additionally, he referred to this accountability as genocide “supported by Western governments and global corporations.”
Ali condemned the failure of international legal institutions pursuing people responsible for war crimes in Palestine. He stressed that states must investigate and prosecute war crimes under international law, but they repeatedly have “neglected” these obligations. He said Global 195 aims to remedy this gap and combat the injustices of Israeli actions against Gaza.
The ICJP revealed that it has already collected 135 eyewitness testimonies from Gaza. These accounts, corroborated by open-source evidence, included people who may have committed war crimes such as indiscriminate bombardment of civilian areas, destruction of civilian infrastructure, mass displacement policies, and the use of starvation against civilians.
Therefore, to strengthen its case, the ICJP have teamed up with former detectives from London’s Met Police to gather high-quality evidence that can be used in future cases.
Moreover, legal scholars from Bosnia, Canada, Malaysia, Norway, and Turkey attended the press conference. These countries will collaborate with the ICJP to bring cases against individuals suspected of carrying out war crimes in Gaza.
Shane Martinez, who leads the ICJP’s Canadian branch, said that lawyers in Canada are looking to prosecute Canadian nationals and charities aiding or fighting for the Israeli military.
The Global 195 joins other projects like the Hind Rajab Foundation, which has gathered thousands of pieces of evidence related to alleged war crimes in Gaza committed by Israeli soldiers.
Middle East Eye
