November 22, 2016, New York – Today, in response to a submission by four Palestinian human rights groups to the International Criminal Court (ICC) urging the ICC prosecutor to open a formal investigation into Israel’s ten-year closure of Gaza, the Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR), a legal advisor to the groups, issued the following statement:

For nearly ten years, Israel’s illegal closure of the Gaza Strip has prevented freedom of movement for people and goods, with devastating consequences for the two million Palestinians who live there. The closure has destroyed the economy, separated families, limited employment and educational opportunities, prevented Gazan’s from accessing medical care, and decimated public infrastructure. This is not only a human-created humanitarian crisis, it amounts to persecution, a crime against humanity under international law. The ICC is effectively the only court that can investigate and prosecute the perpetrators. Having granted the ICC jurisdiction over war crimes and crimes against humanity in Palestine, there is an opportunity to end the era of Israeli impunity against Palestine. We urge the prosecutor to act promptly, and ultimately, for Israel to lift the siege on Gaza.

Read the press release of the Palestinian Center for Human Rights here.