Israel rejects war crimes probe

Israel yesterday said it would formally reject the International Criminal Court’s decision to launch a probe into potential war crimes against the Palestinians, denying it has committed such crimes and saying the court lacks the jurisdiction to investigate. A panel of judges at the ICC ruled in February that the court does have jurisdiction, allowing the investigation to proceed. Israel’s response to a formal notification sent out last month is not expected to reopen that debate, though judges may reconsider the issue of jurisdiction later in the process. The court is expected to look at possible war crimes committed by Israelis forces and Palestinian militants during and after the 2014 Gaza war, as well as Israel’s establishment of settlements in the occupied West Bank and annexed east Jerusalem that now house more than 700,000 settlers. International law prohibits the transfer of civilians into occupied territory.