CAIRO, October 11. /TASS/. Palestine is asking the International Criminal Court (ICC) to review the issue of Israel using banned weapons in their bombardments of the Gaza Strip, Palestinian Justice Minister Muhammad Shalalda told the Al Jazeera TV channel.

According to him, "Israel is using internationally banned weapons to shell civilians in the Gaza Strip." "Israel’s use of white phosphorus and other banned weapons requires ICC intervention," the official stressed. He did not specify whether a request to that effect was sent to the ICC.

Shalalda cautioned that the situation in the Gaza Strip "threatens the national security of Arab countries and demands a unified stance on the part of the League of Arab States."

Earlier, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry said that Israel had been using phosphorus and cluster munitions in the Gaza Strip and branded Israel’s actions against Palestinians in the enclave as genocide.

Tensions flared up again in the Middle East on October 7 when Hamas militants staged an attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip. According to the latest official data, up to 1,000 Palestinians have been killed since the renewed outbreak of violence, while over 5,000 have suffered wounds. In Israel, at least 1,200 people have lost their lives and over 3,000 have been wounded.

Hamas described its operation as a response to the aggressive actions of Israeli authorities against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in the Old City of Jerusalem. Israel has declared a state of readiness for war and announced a total blockade of the Gaza Strip, home to 2.3 million Palestinians.