Howdy Jens;
The UN is conducting its own "independent" investigation, but there is no international court which has jurisdiction over the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict at the moment. The ICJ does not handle war crimes and Israel withdrew her plenary consent to be bound by that court`s rulings in 1985. The ICC does handle war crimes, but Israel (and most Muslim countries) are not signatories of the Rome Statute. The UN Security Council could extend the ICC`s jurisdiction or it could set up a separate trial chamber entirely.
British and Spanish courts claim universal jurisdiction over war crimes commited by anybody against anyone anywhere, but they have to wait until the accused sets foot on their soil and is arrested before the trial can begin.
For a conviction, the prosecution must prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the accused had a deliberate intent to violate the rules of war. A large pile of dead bodies (most of whom were combatants) does not suffice. Mistakes don`t count |
|
