The ICC prosecutor asks to open an investigation for war crimes in Palestine

[G h o s t l y.]

Palestine has described the prosecutor's decision of the International Criminal Court as "positive." On the contrary, Netanyahu has described the prosecutor's decision as "biased and outrageous."

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, has asked Friday to open an investigation in Palestine for alleged war crimes, the court said in a statement.

"There is a reasonable basis to proceed with an investigation," said Bensouda, who explained that he has asked the judges to open the investigations in the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

The Palestinian authorities have been demanding that the ICC investigate Israel's reaction to the protests known as the March of Return, which began in 2018 and have left a balance of more than 273 Palestinians dead and more than 16,000 injured.

The secretary general of the Palestine Liberation Organization, Saeb Erekat, has described the decision of the ICC prosecutor as "positive."

In addition, he has indicated that it represents a further step towards an investigation that could "put an end to the impunity of the perpetrators" and that symbolizes "a message of hope" and that "justice is possible".

For his part, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has described the decision of the ICC prosecutor as "biased and outrageous." In addition, the president has considered that the Court has no jurisdiction over the occupied territories, since it applies only to sovereign states and "there was never a Palestinian state."