Israel's National Security Council has warned the Knesset's Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee that Israel may face International Criminal Court action this year over either of two issues, 2014's Operation Protective Edge in the Gaza Strip or its construction policies in Judea and Samaria, Channel 10 News reported Monday.
Both issues are the subjects of complaints filed with the ICC by the Palestinian Authority, and ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda has been investigating them for nearly three years. According to the report, she may decide to pursue one of the issues further this year.
In December, Bensouda ruled that there were no grounds to open a full-scale investigation into the 2010 raid by Israeli naval commandos on a flotilla that was attempting to breach the maritime blockade Israel has placed on the Gaza Strip.
According to Channel 10 News, Col. (ret.) Amit Aviram, a senior National Security Council official, presented members of the Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee with a classified strategic situation assessment for 2018 that lists details of diplomatic threats, as well as security threats.
The two main threats he reportedly warned lawmakers about include a possible ICC investigation into the 2014 Gaza campaign or settlement construction. Such investigations are likely if there is a security escalation in the Gaza Strip or the West Bank, or if the stalled Israeli-Palestinian peace process collapses, he said.
Aviram warned that in 2018, the boycott, divestment and sanctions movement is likely to increase its efforts to isolate and delegitimize Israel on the international stage.
Any ICC investigation could have significant implications for Israel, as it would likely focus on specific individuals, who might then be subject to interrogation and arrest.
Officials in the Foreign and Justice ministries played down the threat, saying that while an ICC investigation is a very serious matter, chances of one being launched are low. Nevertheless, they said Israel must remain vigilant and take the necessary legal and diplomatic measures to prevent such an investigation.
A National Security Council statement confirmed that the issue was discussed in a recent Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee meeting, saying, "These threats were presented as potential issues. They do not constitute an official NSC assessment."
