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Middle East conflict

Group of Palestinians complain to Dutch court about Israeli attempts to influence ICC

The group, which also includes two Palestinians who are also US citizens, explained their decision, saying that the ICC was based there and that possible Israeli crimes were being investigated there

THE HAGUE, October 8. /TASS/. A group of Palestinians is seeking justice at a Dutch court claiming that the International Criminal Court (ICC) may be influenced by Israel, Trouw reported.

According to the Dutch newspaper, 20 Palestinians, mostly residents of the West Bank, asked the Dutch authorities to launch a criminal probe into "attempts to put pressure on, defame and threaten the ICC staff with the aim of influencing the investigation into Israeli war crimes."

The group, which also includes two Palestinians who are also US citizens, explained their decision, saying that the ICC was based there and that possible Israeli crimes were being investigated there. "They are ordinary people who are very concerned over the ICC investigation," their Dutch lawyer Barbara van Straaten said. They argue that possible Israeli interference is a direct violation of their access to justice, she added.

In May, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan requested the arrest of three Hamas leaders as well as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Israel’s defense chief, Yoav Gallant for military crimes and crimes against humanity. Soon afterwards, The Guardian published disclosures about attempts on the part of Israeli special services to undermine and influence the ICC.

In their complaint, the Palestinians said that these attempts had dealt "irreparable damage" to the ICC probe. "We fear that the Court will feel such pressure that it will halt its probe regarding Israel," the document reads.

While the previous Dutch government stated that espionage, intimidation and sabotage at the ICC can be seen as "undesirable foreign interference," it didn’t explicitly mention Israel, the newspaper wrote.

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