RAMALLAH, May 7 (NNN-WAFA) – The Palestinian justice minister, said, the Palestinian Authority intends to file lawsuits against the U.S., for supporting Israel’s plans to annex Palestinian lands in the West Bank.
“We are looking for legal mechanisms to hold the U.S. government accountable, in committing war crimes against the Palestinians together with Israel,” Mohammed al-Shalaldeh, said.
The U.S. support for Israel’s plan to annex Palestinian lands in the West Bank is one of these crimes, he noted.
“Recognising the occupier’s sovereignty on the occupied lands is a war crime in itself, and according to the international law, no state has the right to recognise sovereignty of any occupying state on others’ land,” al-Shalaldeh explained.
In addition, lawsuits will be filed against international companies that operate at Israeli settlements, the Palestinian minister said.
The Palestinian government filed a lawsuit against the United States in the International Court of Justice for violating the Vienna Treaty of 1961, after it moved its embassy in Israel from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem in 2018, according to the minister.
Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), issued a report today, that confirmed the jurisdiction of the ICC to investigate in Palestine, al-Shalaldeh said.
Earlier, U.S. Ambassador to Israel, David Friedman, announced that imposing Israeli sovereignty on parts of the West Bank “is Israel’s decision,” Israel Radio reported.
The radio also reported that Friedman said, Washington is preparing to recognise Israel’s plans in the coming weeks.
