THE International Criminal Court’s chief prosecutor said today his office will intensify efforts to investigate war crimes in occupied Palestine.

Palestinians have been critical of the  Hague-based court’s failure to charge Israel with war crimes over its killing of thousands of children in Gaza, in contrast with its charges against Russian President Vladimir Putin for transporting Ukrainian children to Russia.

The court has been investigating crimes in the Palestinian territories committed by both sides since 2021 but has yet to announce any charges.

Prosecutor Karim Khan condemned “calculated cruelty” by Hamas in its October 7 attack on Israel, in which 1,200 Israelis were killed, many of them civilians, saying the attacks represent “some of the most serious international crimes that shock the conscience of humanity.”

He appeared softer on Israel’s killing of civilians in Gaza, saying fighting in densely populated areas was “inherently complex” but that the Israeli military needed to observe international law. He condemned attacks on Palestinians in the West Bank by Israeli settlers. 

Israel is not a member state of the court and does not recognise its jurisdiction.