Netanyahu: Israel will be taken to court over settlements

Israel could be held accountable for its illegal settlements at the International Criminal Court if it passes a bill legalising them, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu warned.

Israel is expected to bring the Regulation Bill into law, this will retrospectively legalise outposts in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, which are deemed illegal under international law.

Netanyahu’s warning comes after the prosecutor’s office at the ICC conducted a pre-emptive examination of the disastrous situation in the occupied Palestinian Territories in an effort to determine whether or not to launch a full-scale investigation into Israeli illegal settlements.He has also warned that passing the bill would give outgoing US President Obama a final opportunity to take action against Israel on the international platform.The campaign to pass the bill is being led by the far right Jewish Home party in order to prevent the evacuation of the Amona outpost, an illegal settlement in the West Bank, which is schedule to take place on 25 December.