Abbas suggests referring Israel to ICC over arson murder

Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas has said that the arson murder of baby Ali Dawabsheh and the injuries to his family are a direct result of Israel’s settlement policies, Al-Quds newspaper has reported. Abbas pointed out that this was not the first crime committed by extremist Israeli Jewish settlers, and it will not be the last.

“The reason for such attacks are the settlements built by Israel,” he told PA officials during a meeting in Ramallah. “Aggression and terrorism against the Palestinians is a result of the settlements built by the Israeli government. As such, the Israeli government is directly responsible for this act.”

He stressed that the PA leadership is heading for the UN to insist on international protection for the Palestinians. He also revealed that the PA is to lodge a complaint to the International Criminal Court.

Abbas doubted that the Israeli government will ever prosecute the perpetrators of this crime. He called for the US and international community to blacklist all settler organisations as terrorist groups.