Jerusalem has reportedly drawn up a list with the names of hundreds of military officers and government officials who may be at risk of prosecution from the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged war crimes committed against Palestinians in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
According to Israeli news outlets, some 200-300 officers and defense officials could be targeted by prosecutors at The Hague who have been investigating Israel specifically for alleged war crimes committed during 2014's Operation Protective Edge.
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Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (left) stands with former Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon (center) and former Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Benny Gantz
(Photo AP)
The identities of the officers and defense officials have not been made public.
The list may include senior leaders as well, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, then-IDF chief of staff and current Defense Minster Benny Gantz, former defense minister Moshe Yaalon, and chief of staff Aviv Kochavi, who was the military's intelligence chief at the time.
Yisrael Beitenu Chairman Avigdor Lieberman, New Right party leader Naftali Bennett, along with former and current heads of the Shin Bet security agency could also be on this list.
Three ICC judges are expected to decide in the coming days on whether to open an investigation against Israel and rule whether "the Palestinian territories fall within the jurisdiction of the court or not."
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U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and Prime minster Benjamin Netanyahu
(Photo: Kobi Gideon, GPO)
In June, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo warned the ICC that the United States would "exact consequences" against the ICC if it goes through with its investigation into the Jewish state.
“The International Criminal Court is a political body, not a judicial institution," Pompeo said in a statement.
"This unfortunate reality has been confirmed yet again by the ICC Prosecutor’s attempt to assert jurisdiction over Israel, which like the United States, is not a party to the Rome Statute that created the Court.”