PA should pressure ICC General Prosecutor to open cases against Ben Gvir and Smotrich
The PA is actively supporting ICC action against Israelis even though U.S. law prohibits Economic Support Fund assistance to the PA if it does so.
PA-controlled Committee to Resist Settlements and the Wall Legal Advisor Salah Al-Khawaja: "We must use tools that are more effective and better at curbing the occupation (i.e., Israeli) government, and this is the International Criminal Court (ICC), which unfortunately has been silent since '67 until today. The only times it took a stand were the statements of [then] General Prosecutor Bensouda when there was an evacuation and expulsion operation in Khan Al-Ahmar in 2009 (sic., 2019)… Now they are talking about opening cases against [Minister of National Security] Ben Gvir and [Minister of Finance] Smotrich as war criminals responsible for acts of terror in the Palestinian areas. This development, although a small step, should be utilized and expanded, as well as expanding political, diplomatic, and legal activities in an attempt to pressure the General Prosecutor to open this case according to the Rome Statute."
[Official PA TV, June 16, 2026]