PA official says ICC will imminently announce whether it will open Israel probe

The International Criminal Court is expected to announce “at any moment” whether it will open an investigation into possible war crimes committed in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem, a senior Palestinian Authority official tells Channel 12.

“Many Israelis better be careful,” the unnamed official adds ominously, hinting at the fact that an ICC investigation could lead to arrest warrants against senior Israeli military and political leaders.

However, a senior Israeli official tells The Times of Israel that Palestinian warnings should be taken with a grain of salt.

“To me this looks more like psychological warfare,” the senior official says. “They are taking advantage of the panic spread by some in the Israeli media.”

A pre-trial chamber of three judges is currently weighing whether the court has jurisdiction over the “situation in Palestine.” Chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda argues that the “State of Palestine” is a full member of the court and therefore able to transfer criminal jurisdiction over its territory, a position Israel and other states reject.

The ICC went on judicial recess last Friday and many experts believe the pre-trial chamber will not announce its decision before the court resumes activities on August 10, though it is technically possible.

— Raphael Ahren