Mexico, Chile refer Israel to ICC over crimes in war on Gaza

Mexico and Chile have asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza, citing the “escalation of violence against civilian targets”.

Mexico's foreign ministry said in a statement on Thursday that the ICC was the proper forum to establish potential criminal responsibility, "whether committed by agents of the occupying power or the occupied power."

The statement said Mexico and Chile referred the war to the ICC “due to growing worry over the latest escalation of violence, particularly against civilian targets."

Mexico cited "numerous reports from the United Nations that detail many incidents that could constitute crimes under the ICC's jurisdiction."

Speaking to reporters, Chile's Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren said his nation was "interested in supporting the investigation into any possible war crime" wherever they might occur.

The Hague-based court opened an investigation into Israel for possible war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories in 2021.

ICC prosecutor Karim Khan said in November that the investigation now "extends to the escalation of hostilities and violence” since October 7, 2023.

Israel is not a member of the ICC, but Palestine was allowed to join in 2015 and has since called for an investigation into Israeli crimes.

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Mexico said it was also closely following the genocide case filed by South Africa against the occupying regime at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) over its ongoing war in the besieged strip. Hearings in the case began last week.

According to South Africa’s application, Israel's actions in Gaza were "genocidal in character because they are intended to bring about the destruction of a substantial part of the Palestinian national, racial and ethnical group."

Belgium urged to intervene in ICJ case against Israel

Belgian international law professors urged their country to intervene in the genocide case filed against Israel at the ICJ.

In an open letter published in De Morgen newspaper, the 19 professors said Belgium as one of the states that have ratified the Genocide Convention is obliged to act to prevent the crime.

They said Belgium could fulfill that obligation by applying to the Court of Justice.

The lawyers stressed that Belgium’s intervention before the Hague-based court delivers its judgment would help interpret the current situation in Gaza as an act of “genocide”, denounce the destruction of humanitarian infrastructure, and prevent such acts in the future.

According to the letter, such a move would also address the Israeli regime’s policy of not seeing Palestinians as humans.

Belgian Deputy Prime Minister, Petra De Sutter, had also made a similar call and urged her country not to remain silent against Israel’s threat of genocide in Gaza and to support the lawsuit filed by South Africa.

“Belgium cannot just watch from the sidelines the endless suffering of the people in Gaza. We must act against the threat of genocide. I want Belgium to follow South Africa’s lead and take action at the International Court of Justice. I will make this proposal to the Belgian government,” De Sutter said on X on January 9.

Israel launched the war on Gaza on October 7 after the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas waged the surprise Operation Al-Aqsa Storm against the occupying entity in response to the Israeli regime's decades-long campaign of bloodletting and devastation against Palestinians.

Since the start of the offensive, the Tel Aviv regime has killed at least 24,620 Palestinians and injured more than 61,830 others.

Thousands more are also missing and presumed dead under the rubble in Gaza, which is under “complete siege” by Israel.

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