From the Liveblog of
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Prosecutors from nations whose citizens were killed on Oct. 7 to land in Israel tomorrow
Jeremy Sharon is The Times of Israel’s legal affairs and settlements reporter
A delegation of senior prosecutors from countries whose citizens were among those murdered or taken hostage in the October 7 atrocities perpetrated by Hamas will arrive in Israel tomorrow to gain a firsthand understanding of the brutal terror assault.
The heads of the prosecution service from Germany, the US, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Portugal, and Estonia — as well as representatives from the Japanese, Australian and Danish embassies — will visit towns and communities in the Gaza border region where Hamas carried out its deadly attack, the Justice Ministry says.
They prosecutors will meet with Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, State Attorney Amit Eisman, and members of the legal team that defended Israel in the International Court of Justice against South Africa’s genocide allegations, and receive briefings on the crimes committed by Hamas on October 7 from senior officials in the defense establishment as well as the Foreign Ministry and the Israel Police.
The delegation will also meet with relatives of those killed and taken hostage by Hamas on October 7.
“[This] is another stage in the efforts to advance enforcement measures against Hamas officials and operatives worldwide,” says Itamar Donenfeld, director general of the Justice Ministry.
“The visit to the kibbutzim of the south and the meeting with the families of the hostages will be an opportunity to present a clear, accurate and firsthand picture of the heinous crimes that Hamas has committed, not only against Israelis but against all of humanity,” he adds.
