Algerian lawyers file lawsuit against Israel at ICC

By Anadolu staff

ISTANBUL (AA) - An Algerian lawyers group announced Friday that it filed a lawsuit with the prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague against Israeli officials "involved in committing genocide crimes against the Palestinian people."

The Algerian National Union of Bar Associations said the lawsuit was also signed by the Tunisian, Jordanian, Mauritanian and Palestinian bar associations.

It said the lawsuit is based on documentation gathered from authentic sources and includes photos and videos that document Israeli crimes in the Gaza Strip.

It included official documents issued by UN bodies, international groups and recent orders by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which affirmed plausible evidence of genocide crimes in Gaza.

The UN court on Jan. 26 found South Africa's claim that Israel is committing genocide plausible. The court issued an interim order urging Israel to stop obstructing aid deliveries into Gaza and to improve the humanitarian situation.

The statement noted that an international team was formed to follow Israeli crimes committed in Gaza.

Israel launched a deadly offensive on the Gaza Strip on Oct. 7 that killed at least 27,131 Palestinians and injured 66,287 following a surprise attack by the Palestinian resistance group, Hamas. Nearly 1,200 Israelis are believed to have been killed in the Hamas attack.

The Israeli offensive has left 85% of Gaza’s population internally displaced amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar