International Criminal Court prosecutor seeks to accelerate probe into alleged war crimes in Palestine

The International Criminal Court's chief prosecutor has moved to accelerate the ICC's investigation into alleged war crimes in the Palestinian territories which was opened in 2021, British media said Monday.

Karim Khan has put all parties involved in the war "on notice" and indicated that his office is actively investigating the current situation in Gaza, the Guardian daily reported.

Against this background, Khan has appointed Andrew Cayley, a British lawyer and former military prosecutor, to oversee the court's investigation.

The daily said, however, that the investigation includes important legal and operational challenges for Khan as Israel does not accept the ICC's jurisdiction and its political leaders have been stubbornly hostile towards it.

"It is understood Khan has attempted to arrange visits to Gaza but Israel has refused him entry," it added.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by the Palestinian group Hamas in which nearly 1,200 people were killed.

More than 31,100 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and over 72,700 others injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

Israel has also imposed a crippling blockade on the Gaza Strip, leaving its population, particularly residents of northern Gaza, on the verge of starvation.

According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 27 people have died of malnutrition and dehydration in Gaza due to the Israeli blockade.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza's population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.