Palestinian Arab and European lawyers on behalf of Palestinian lawmakers have filed a complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague Netherlands against the Israeli occupation state and its inhumane blockade on the Gaza Strip.
The lawyers entrusted by Palestinian MPs from Gaza recently handed ICC officials documents containing the legal complaint.
The complaint has asked the court to issue a verdict ending the unjust siege on Gaza and secure compensation for the victims’ pain and suffering.
In this regard the Palestinian parliamentarians in Gaza have released a statement emphasizing the following:
The complaint to the ICC aims to put an end to the prolonged blockade upon 2.2 million people suffering extreme living conditions and to hold Israel legally accountable for its illegal and unjustified measures that collectively punish people of Gaza.
The blockade on Gaza should be fully lifted in line with Security Council Resolution 1860 and appropriate compensation should be provided to the Palestinian victims estimated by specialists at 25 billion dollars at least based on the UN trade and development report which indicated that the direct economic losses as a result of the blockade amounted to 16.7 billion dollars from 2007 to 2008.
For years the Israeli occupation have been implementing with impunity unlawful apartheid policies and crimes against Palestinians according to rights organizations including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch. These policies left most people unable to have access to food water essential services such as healthcare and education for more than a decade.
The Israeli aggressions against the Gaza Strip resulted in the killing of thousands of innocent civilians the destruction of tens of thousands of houses residential towers public facilities infrastructure factories commercial establishments and agricultural lands.
The ICC is demanded to take practical steps to condemn Israeli leaders for their criminal blockade on Gaza that amounts to war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The court should adopt a neutral policy and enforce its principles law and regulations when dealing with the Palestinian question.
The court bears the responsibility of ensuring justice for the Palestinian people through condemning Israeli leaders for their war crimes and putting an immediate end to the blockade on Gaza.
The Palestinian Legislative Council is ready to fully cooperate with any committee established by the ICC in order to ensure justice for Gaza and end the blockade on its population.
