The conflict between Israel and Hamas has new implications for other areas in the Middle East
Mexico and Chile submitted this Thursday (18) a request to the International Criminal Court to investigate possible war crimes in the conflict between Israel and the terrorist group Hamas, both governments said.
Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement that the countries acted because they were concerned about the escalation of violence, particularly against civilian targets, and the alleged continuation of crimes within the court's jurisdiction.
On October 7, 2023, the terrorist group Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,140 people and kidnapping another 250, according to a survey by the AFP news agency. In response, Israel launched an operation in the Gaza Strip to eliminate Hamas, which ruled there.
According to Hamas, the Israeli offensive has so far claimed 24,620 lives.
Supporting an investigation
Chilean Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren told a news conference that the idea was to support an investigation of “any possible war crime in the region, regardless of whether that war crime comes from where, whether by Israelis or Palestinians.”
The request, made through a document known as a “remission,” is intended to strengthen the International Criminal Court's already ongoing investigation into crimes committed not only in Gaza, but also in the occupied territories of the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Israel, Van said Klaveren said.
The International Criminal Court (ICC), established in 2002 to prosecute perpetrators of atrocities such as genocide and crimes against humanity, opened an investigation in the Palestinian territories in 2021 following complaints against Israel, Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.
The Mexican Foreign Ministry also said that the court's intervention “takes particular importance given the numerous UN reports describing numerous incidents that could constitute crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC.”
Case before the International Court of Justice
Mexico, which has remained neutral in the conflict, also reported that it was closely monitoring the case that South Africa filed last week against Israel at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), the highest judicial body, accusing it of committing genocide in Gaza have the UN.