International prosecution of Israeli war crimes

Pursuing the international prosecution of Israel and Israeli officials for war crimes has been a long-standing goal of the State of Palestine and its supporters, and has a lengthy history in various national courts, the International Criminal Court, the United Nations, and its organs including the International Court of Justice.

Background

The prohibition on and prosecution of war crimes, defined as including genocide, the deliberate or wanton killing of civilians, the murder or ill treatment of hostages and/or prisoners of war, torture, the plunder of public or private property, the destruction of cities, towns, or villages, and the general devastation of lives or properties for reasons not militarily justified, is a core tenant of international law.