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Palestinian Move at International Criminal Court Signals a Volatile New Stage
(Washington Post) William Booth and Ruth Eglash - Following a decision by prosecutors at the International Criminal Court on Friday to launch an inquiry into possible war crimes in the Palestinian territories, no one knows exactly what ICC prosecutor Fatou Bensouda will examine in the coming months. The high number of civilian deaths in Gaza during the summer war? Indiscriminate Hamas rocket fire at Israeli towns? Her announcement of a preliminary examination refers only to "the situation in Palestine." The inquiry will focus on the nature of possible crimes, the admissibility of evidence and whether the court has jurisdiction. According to the Obama administration, Palestine is not a state and the Palestinians do not have standing with the court. Further complicating matters, one of the Palestinian governing partners is Hamas, designated a terrorist organization by the U.S. and several other nations. The Israeli military, too, is conducting its own investigations into the Gaza war, undercutting the need for an ICC investigation.