Guterres says he is “deeply alarmed” by reports of mass graves in several locations in Gaza.
“There are competing narratives around several of these mass graves, including serious allegations that some of those buried were unlawfully killed,” he said.
“It is imperative that independent international investigators, with forensic expertise, are allowed immediate access to the sites of these mass graves, to establish the precise circumstances under which hundreds of Palestinians lost their lives and were buried, or reburied,” he continued.
“The families of the dead and missing have a right to know what happened. And the world has a right to accountability for any violations of international law that may have taken place.”
Last week, the secretary-general’s spokesperson said that a mandate from a United Nations body would be required for the organisation to take legal possession of any evidence collected during the discovery of the mass graves, in order for the UN to carry out its own investigation.
Source: Al Jazeera
ICC warrants will not affect Israel’s Gaza war goals: Netanyahu
The Israeli prime minister says any ICC arrest warrants would mark the first time that a democratic country would be accused by the court of war crimes.
- “I want to make one thing clear: No decision, neither in The Hague nor anywhere else, will harm our determination to achieve all the goals of the war – the release of all our hostages, a complete victory over Hamas and a promise that Gaza will no longer pose a threat to Israel,” he said.
Netanyahu said if the International Criminal Court issues arrest warrants for government officials on charges related to Israel’s war on Gaza, it would be a scandal on a historic scale.
- Israel is not a member of the ICC and does not recognise its jurisdiction, but the Palestinian territory was admitted with the status of a member state in 2015.
In October, ICC Chief Prosecutor Karim Khan said the court had jurisdiction over any potential war crimes committed by Israeli forces in the Gaza Strip.
Source: Al Jazeera