RAMALLAH, June 9 (Xinhua) -- Senior Palestinian officials said on Tuesday that it is "internationally legal" for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue its investigations against Israel despite Palestinian abolition of all agreements with Israel.
The ICC's decision to move ahead with investigations against Israel in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem "is an important development," Saeb Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, told the official Voice of Palestine radio.
Fatou Bensouda, an ICC prosecutor, earlier told the ICC's Pretrial Chamber that although the Palestinians had ended the agreements with Israel and the United States, the ICC will move ahead with its war-crime investigations against Israel, according to the Israeli newspaper the Jerusalem Post.
"Nothing obstructs the decisions of holding Israeli officials accountable before the ICC ... (those) who commit crimes of settlement, annexation and collective punishment," said Erekat, who chairs the National Committee to follow up with the ICC.
Meanwhile, Palestinian Minister of Foreign Affairs Riyad al-Maliki said in a press statement that the ICC's decision is "legal" and "clearly shows that the ICC has jurisdiction in the Palestinian territories."
He called on the Pretrial Chamber of the ICC to speed up the implementation of its decision on the geographical jurisdiction of the ICC on the occupied Palestinian territories.
"This will contribute to the immediate opening of criminal investigation in the Palestinian territories," said al-Maliki, adding Palestine "will keep cooperating with international law institutions." Enditem
