JIJ Programs

To: Mr. Karim A. A. Khan KC
Chief Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.
Oude Waalsdorperweg 10, 2597 AK Den Haag, Netherlands

Dear Mr. Khan,

I, the undersigned, am gravely concerned by the ongoing atrocities perpetrated by Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other Palestinian armed groups in Israel, parties over which the International Criminal Court (ICC) Pre-Trial Chamber has determined it has jurisdiction. I commend your visit to Israel to meet personally with victims and their families. Given the ICC’s mission to ensure accountability for international crimes, I urge your immediate intervention by requesting arrest warrants against those responsible for these appalling acts and ensuring accountability for the crimes committed.

Beginning on the 7th of October, terrorists belonging to the above-mentioned groups infiltrated Israel to massacre over 1,200 individuals, including children, women, and the elderly, and injured over 5,550 more. The victims of these atrocities include both Israeli nationals as well as nationals from  25 different countries.

Evidence collected by first responders who handled the bodies of the victims, video recordings taken by the perpetrators themselves, and recorded interrogations of the terrorists have revealed the commission of atrocious acts. This includes a systematic campaign of sexual violence, including rape and genital mutilation, castration, beheading, dismemberment, and burning of bodies.

The leaders of Hamas, the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), and other armed groups orchestrated a mass abduction of over 240 people, including 40 children. These groups have launched over 10,000 rockets, intentionally targeting Israeli civilian neighborhoods and cities. (The Iron Dome’s efficacy against rocket attacks and Israel’s investment in bomb shelters for its civilians does not negate the blatant unlawfulness of this tactic.) 

Israeli civil society groups and human rights defenders are working diligently to preserve evidence of these crimes, which were live-streamed on social media channels by the perpetrators as the massacre was still unfolding. As clear and indisputable violations of international humanitarian and criminal law, they must be included in the Situation in Palestine, which is already open and ongoing. 

These crimes include the following war crimes: 

• mutilation, cruel treatment, and torture (art. 8(2)(c)(i) of the Rome Statute),
• the taking of hostages (8(2)(c)(iii)), 
• committing outrages upon personal dignity (8(2)(c)(ii)), 
• intentionally directing attacks against the civilian population (8(2)(e)(i)),
• pillaging (8(2)(e)(v)), and
• rape and other forms of sexual violence (8(2)(e)(vi)). 

Additionally, crimes against humanity were and are also being committed by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups. These include, among others: 

• torture (7(1)(f)),
• rape and other forms of sexual violence (7(1)(g)),
• persecution of an identifiable group on national, ethnic, and religious grounds (7(1)(h), and
• enforced disappearances (7(1)(i)). 

Furthermore, Hamas and Palestinian armed groups’ actions of October 7 could potentially amount to genocide, a crime under the ICC jurisdiction per article 6 of the Rome Statute.

It is imperative that your Office request that the Pre-Trial Chamber issue arrest warrants for the following Hamas officials who exercised command and control of the October 7th attack, in accordance with article 58 of the Rome Statute: 

• Yahya Sinwar (Hamas Chief in the Gaza Strip), 
• Mohammed Deif (militant and supreme military commander of Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades),
• Ismail Haniyeh (Head  of the Hamas Political Bureau), 
• Khaled Mashaal (Chairman of the Hamas Political Bureau).

The speedy issuance of arrest warrants is essential to ensure their appearance at trial and prevent the continued commission of their crimes, which shocks the conscience of humanity.

The atrocities taking place in Israel are unprecedented, and they cannot remain neglected by the body that has already stated that it has jurisdiction over the crimes committed by Hamas and Palestinian armed groups. Accordingly, I urge you to pursue the aforementioned arrest warrants and ensure accountability for the crimes committed.

Sincerely,

AmazonSmile is program from Amazon that allows you to support your favorite charitable organization every time you shop at Amazon, at no cost to you. When you shop at https://smile.amazon.com on you’ll find the same low prices, with the added benefit that AmazonSmile will donate 0.5% of your eligible purchases to the charitable organization of your choice. To setup your AmazonSmile account just follow the directions below.

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Facebook offers a new, simple tool that can give you the option to bring awareness to a non-profit or cause on your birthday.

1. Go to your Facebook account and login.
2. After you login, on the Facebook “home” page look on the left side column. You should see the ‘fundraiser’ option under “Create” at the bottom. Click on “fundraiser” and then click on “Select Nonprofit”.
3. Search for and select the Jerusalem Institute of Justice (JIJ).
4. Set your fundraising goal (how much money do you want to raise) and time-frame. We’ve seen many successful fundraisers at $200 or even $500 or more. Set something that you feel good about and see where it goes! You can always raise the amount if you particularly like to challenge your friends. You can also give it a title and a description as to why you are raising money and a cover photo.
5. When your details are complete for the fundraiser, click “Create”.
6. Invite people on your friends’ list and engage with them! This is key. Invite, invite, invite! Share it on your timeline: remember that not everyone will see something when you post once. While some people may be hesitant to invite people on their friends list, remember you’re giving them an opportunity to participate in something large and global. No problem if they are unable or unwilling to participate at this time – you’ve at least extended an invitation.
7. Watch the donations come in.