Israel settlers accuse Hamas of ‘war crimes’ before ICC

Lawyer Nitsana Sarshan-Leitner protests against Hamas Leaders in front the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Hague, Netherlands September 3, 2018.

Although Israel signed Rome Statute in 2000, it is not a member of Hague-based tribunal

A group of Israeli settlers have filed a lawsuit against Hamas with the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing the Palestinian resistance group of committing “war crimes”, the Jerusalem Post reported on Monday.

According to the newspaper, the lawsuit calls on The Hague-based tribunal to investigate purported “war crimes” committed by Hamas leaders who allegedly ordered Palestinian activists in Gaza to fly incendiary kites and balloons over Israeli territory.

In recent weeks, Palestinian activists have been flying incendiary kites and balloons over Israeli territory as part of ongoing anti-occupation demonstrations along the Gaza-Israel buffer zone.

According to Israeli officials, the improvised aerial weapons have caused a number of fires inside Israeli territory resulting in significant material damage -- but no deaths or injuries.

In May, the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority called on the ICC to investigate Israel’s illegal settlement-building activities and war crimes allegedly perpetrated by the Israeli army.

Palestine formally joined the ICC in 2015 after President Mahmoud Abbas signed the Rome Statute the previous year.

Although Israel, too, signed the Rome Statute (which established the court) in 2000, it is not a member of the ICC.