The Leitner Center for International Law and Justice and Fordham Law School’s National Lawyers Guild chapter are pleased to present a livestream of ‘Operation Protective Edge: Legal and Political Implications of ICC Prosecution,’ a panel discussion on Israel’s offensive, Operation Protective Edge, against the Gaza Strip this past summer, and the political and legal implications of Palestine’s bid to join the International criminal court. The event is being held at George Mason University.

In July and August, hostilities in the Gaza Strip left 2,131 Palestinians and 71 Israelis dead, including 501 Palestinian children and one Israeli child. Of Gaza’s 1.8 million residents, 475,000 are living in temporary shelters or with other families because their homes have been severely damaged. The extent of destruction has raised questions around culpability for war crimes on all sides of the conflict. International organizations including the United Nations Human Rights Council, Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have called for independent investigation.

Palestine is considering accession to the Rome Statute, which would grant the International Criminal Court the authority to investigate war crimes conducted in Palestinian territory. Such an investigation would bring both Israel and Palestine under scrutiny for events from this summer and as far back as 2012, and possibly to 2002 when the ICC was first formed to investigate war crimes.

This panel will explore the relevant legal questions under international criminal law as well as the political issues related to ICC accession by Palestine.

Speakers:

David J. Luban, Georgetown University,  Georgetown Law Center
Margaret deGuzman, Temple University, Beasley School of Law
George Bisharat, University of California, Hastings College of the Law
Noura Erakat, George Mason University, New Century College
Kevin Jon Heller, University of London, SOAS

For more information on the event, please visit this page.

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