Palestinians urge full ICC probe

The Palestinian foreign minister yesterday called on the International Criminal Court (ICC) "to open an immediate investigation" into allegations of war crimes and apartheid against the Palestinian people.

Amid rising tensions with Israel, Palestinian foreign minister Riyad al-Maliki met for an hour with the ICC's chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda at the tribunal in The Hague, "to refer the situation in Palestine" to her office.

It was an "important and historic step" for the Palestinian people "who have suffered for generations the consequences of crimes committed with impunity by Israeli officials," he told reporters.

The ICC launched a preliminary probe into allegations of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Israel and the Palestinian territories in 2015.

And despite a visit to the region, it has yet to move to the next stage and open a full-blown investigation which could possibly lead to charges being brought.

Maliki said there was "insurmountable" evidence of crimes, adding that those "responsible ... must be held accountable for their actions without further delay".

The meeting at the ICC comes after more than 60 Palestinians protesting the US decision to move its embassy from Tel Aviv to the disputed city of Jerusalem were killed by Israeli fire last week.

Maliki said the Palestinian move was "due to the intensification of the rate and the severity of the crimes against our people" including the targeting of "unarmed protestors in the Gaza Strip".

The Palestinian referral highlighted the issue of settlements, which the delegation termed in a statement "the single most dangerous threat to Palestinian lives and livelihoods".