Israel source: ICC does not object to demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar

International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor Fatou Bensouda does not object to the demolition of the Palestinian West Bank village of Khan Al-Ahmar, Arab48 reported an Israeli government source saying yesterday.

“There is no judicial or legal violations in displacing the residents of Khan Al-Ahmar,” a source from the Israeli government reported a letter from Bensouda’s office saying.

According to the Israeli news website Walla!, Israel’s Deputy Attorney General Roy Schondorf recently held meetings in The Hague regarding Israel’s plan to expel the Palestinian residents of Khan Al-Ahmar and demolition the village.

According to Walla!, two sources reported that the meetings end with the understanding that displacing the Palestinian residents of the village “is possible”.

Does the international community even care about Khan Al-Ahmar?

Israeli Army Radio reported early this week that Israeli authorities were delaying the demolition because the ICC prosecutor was planning to issue a report about Palestinians in the occupied West Bank in an effort to reduce criticism of Israel.

Last week Bensouda said: “Extensive destruction of property without military necessity and population transfers in an occupied territory constitute war crimes.”

The EU also said: “The demolition of Khan Al-Ahmar and the forcible transfer of its residents would constitute a grave breach of international humanitarian law.”