Israeli NGO Shurat HaDin demanded a comprehensive criminal investigation into the leaders of Hamas and Islamic Jihad for their roles in the massacre of Israeli civilians on October 7, in a formal complaint filed with the chief prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
On October 7, thousands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad militants reportedly crossed from the Gaza Strip into Israel, launching a ferocious assault on Israeli towns, villages, and military bases during the Jewish holiday of Simchat Torah.
In 2021, the chief prosecutor of the ICC began a criminal probe concerning "the situation in Palestine". Now, Shurat HaDin accuses Hamas and Islamic Jihad of a myriad of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the "Sukkot Massacre".
The NGO detailed more than 26 transgressions of the Rome Statute, the ICC's foundational treaty. The extensive list of crimes encompasses murder, intentional attacks on civilians, torture, and several other grave breaches of the Geneva Conventions.
'October 7 is now our 9/11'
Nitsana Darshan Leitner, the founder and president of Shurat HaDin, poignantly remarked, "October 7, 2023, is now our 9/11." She further elaborated, "We haven't witnessed such a dreadful massacre against Jews since the Holocaust. Entire communities obliterated, innocent families butchered, and unspeakable atrocities committed."
Leitner also leveled criticism at the ICC, alleging a bias against Israel. She underscored the court's purported neglect of prior complaints lodged by Shurat HaDin since 2014, arguing, "If the ICC turns a blind eye to this massacre, it forfeits its legitimacy."