On Friday, Palestinian factions and human rights organizations condemned Israel's decision not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in an investigation it will launch into the situation in Palestine, and considered it a disregard for international justice.
On Thursday, the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's office announced in a statement that Israel will not cooperate with the Criminal Court, under the pretext that it does not have any authority to open an investigation against Tel Aviv.
The spokesman for the Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas), Hazem Qassem, said, "The occupation government’s refusal to cooperate with the investigations of the International Criminal Court confirms the logic of orgy in dealing with international institutions and decisions.
Qassem added in a tweet on Twitter that the Zionist entity is acting as an entity above the law and outside the scope of accountability, and this is a test for international institutions to enforce their decisions, achieve justice and punish criminals.
In turn, Dawood Shihab, spokesman for Islamic Jihad, said, "As usual, the occupation government evades any legal and judicial accountability related to the crimes it has committed against the Palestinian people."
In his statement to Anadolu Agency, Shihab explained that the Israeli position is a declaration that represents a message of contempt for international justice, which does not mean anything to the occupation.
And he added, "This outrageous tyranny by the occupation is based on the support of the United States, by continuing its support for organized state terrorism, which is practiced by the occupation."
Shehab stressed that the Palestinian people will continue to exercise their legitimate right to resistance, self-defense and confront Israeli terrorism, based on all laws, customs and charters.
In the context, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine said that "the occupation's refusal to deal with the International Criminal Court is a contempt for the international community and international justice."
The Front added in a statement that the voice of international justice must be raised to protect peoples from fascist forces and their heinous crimes that rise to the level of war crimes and crimes against humanity.
A human rights conviction
In turn, the Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor strongly condemned Israel's decision not to cooperate with the International Criminal Court in an investigation it will launch regarding the situation in Palestine.
The Geneva-based observatory said in a statement that "the Israeli decision stems from the authorities' awareness there that their army has committed violations that may amount to war crimes and crimes against humanity, which explains their attempts not to cooperate with any international investigations in order to avoid accountability."
The Observatory called on the International Criminal Court to start investigations and not to bow to any political pressure, or to allow the parties involved to evade responsibility.
He stressed the need to create mechanisms to achieve justice for victims of violations and hold perpetrators accountable.
The Euro-Med Monitor called on the European Union countries to support the investigation of the International Criminal Court and to ensure the protection of lawyers, witnesses and civil society activists involved in the investigation and gathering relevant information.
A month ago, Israel received a letter from the Criminal Court detailing the scope of the investigation it decided to launch into the situation in Palestine, and given it 30 days to respond to its letter.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the decision, while Israel "strongly" condemned it and requested that it be canceled.
The court is expected to investigate suspicion that Israeli officials have committed war crimes and other crimes against humanity in the occupied Palestinian territories.
The criminal court letter outlined the three main areas it intends to cover, namely: the 2014 war between Israel and Hamas, settlement policy, and the Great March of Return (2018) protests in Gaza.