ICC prosecutor warns Israel: Razing Bedouin village a ‘war crime’

The International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor issues a warning that if Israel goes ahead and destroys a Bedouin village on the West Bank that could constitute a war crime.

The Supreme Court recently rejected a final appeal against plans to demolish the village, Khan al-Ahmar.

In a statement, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says “evacuation by force now appears imminent.”

Bensouda adds that the “extensive destruction of property without military necessity and population transfers in an occupied territory constitute war crimes” under the Rome Statute treaty that established the ICC.

Israel says Khan al-Ahmar was built illegally and has offered to resettle its residents a few kilometers away. Palestinians and other critics say the demolition aims to displace Palestinians in favor of Israeli settlement expansion.

— AP