Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor criticized the International Criminal Court (ICC) Prosecutor Karim Khan’s visit to the Rafah crossing between Egypt and Gaza. The organization described the visit as ‘ceremonial’ emphasizing that it does not benefit Palestinian civilians enduring the weight of genocide due to the ongoing Israeli attack for the fourth week.
In a brief statement the Euro-Med Monitor said: “Khan should have entered the Gaza Strip to support efforts to halt Israeli crimes the ICC Prosecutor needed to descend into the heart of Gaza to send a decisive message about the enforcement of international humanitarian law.
The Euro-Med Monitor asserted that Karim Khan has paved the way for the Israeli heinous crimes against Palestinians in the blockaded Gaza Strip ongoing for 24 days due to his procrastination in conducting investigations into Israeli ongoing aggression and violations against Palestinians and because of his complicity in Israel’s escape of punishment.
The ICC’s prosecutor office has been investigating in serious war crimes in Palestinian territories since 2021. Yet Karim Khan has not issued a proactive statement to remind the Israeli occupation authority of the ICC’s mandate over investigation in its behaviors since the beginning of the Israeli unprecedented military attack on Gaza Strip which has so far led to the killing and missing of thousands of Palestinian civilians.
The Euro-Med Monitor urged the ICC Prosecutor to shoulder his responsibilities and put an end to the double standards policy in terms of victims’ access to legal accountability regarding what is happening in Gaza as he did when he urgently responded to other crises including Ukraine even though it does not enjoy a member state of the court.
