Activist asks ICC to investigate Hamas leader for war crimes

An Israeli activist files a motion with the International Criminal Court that calls for an investigation of alleged war crimes committed by Hamas leader Ismail Haniyeh against the Palestinian people in the 2014 Gaza war.

Attorney Michael Calev Myers, who is affiliated with a number of right-wing Israeli non-governmental organizations, claims that Haniyeh violated Palestinian’s rights by using them as human shields, which constitutes a war crime.

In addition, Myers alleges that Hamas under Haniyeh targeted Israeli civilian centers during the war, not just military targets, which is also considered a war crime by the ICC.

However, it is highly unlikely that Myers’s lawsuit will have any real effect. The ICC is meant to complement pre-existing national courts, not replace them, meaning it would likely not have jurisdiction over Haniyeh, as he could be tried elsewhere.

Hamas, moreover, is not a signatory of the Rome Statute, the ICC’s founding document.

Myers files his claim on behalf of a new movement he founded called “Israel-Li.” The organization “prefers not to wait for an attack on Israel in the international arena, but rather take the initiative and go after those who wish us harm,” he tells the Israel Hayom newspaper.