PA chief negotiator: Israel can be prosecuted for war crimes now that Palestine achieved UN observer state status
Headline: “Ramallah recommended taking advantage of international recognition of the State of Palestine to aid the cause of prisoners in the occupation’s prisons.”
“Chief negotiator Dr. Saeb Erekat said that Israel has always used the term ’terrorist’ when describing Palestinian prisoners, because Palestine was not recognized as a state in the United Nations, thus freeing Israel from being committed to the Geneva Conventions.
He clarified that Palestine – after having attained the status of an observer state – can now be a respected party of the fourth Geneva Convention… and he noted that an important point that should be focused on in the fourth Geneva Convention is paragraph 1/49 that states that treating prisoners in a way that does not comply with the Geneva Conventions is to be considered a war crime. Thus, everything Israel has done on the ground since ’67 – moving inhabitants, i.e., ’settlers’, to occupied territory; constructing the fence and the settlements; and transferring prisoners to Israeli prisons inside Israel – are all to be considered war crimes.
He clarified that the Israeli side and the Quartet know the position of the Palestinian leadership and President Mahmou dAbbas, according to which any renewal of negotiations will require the release of the prisoners and a halt to settlements.”
“Chief negotiator Dr. Saeb Erekat said that Israel has always used the term ’terrorist’ when describing Palestinian prisoners, because Palestine was not recognized as a state in the United Nations, thus freeing Israel from being committed to the Geneva Conventions.
He clarified that Palestine – after having attained the status of an observer state – can now be a respected party of the fourth Geneva Convention… and he noted that an important point that should be focused on in the fourth Geneva Convention is paragraph 1/49 that states that treating prisoners in a way that does not comply with the Geneva Conventions is to be considered a war crime. Thus, everything Israel has done on the ground since ’67 – moving inhabitants, i.e., ’settlers’, to occupied territory; constructing the fence and the settlements; and transferring prisoners to Israeli prisons inside Israel – are all to be considered war crimes.
He clarified that the Israeli side and the Quartet know the position of the Palestinian leadership and President Mahmou dAbbas, according to which any renewal of negotiations will require the release of the prisoners and a halt to settlements.”