Israeli strike on Jabaliya refugee camp was a 'crime', says Palestinian ambassador to UN; urges ICC to take action

Israel strike on a refugee camp in northern Gaza was a crime, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Ambassador Riyad Mansour, said and urged the International Criminal Court (ICC) to take action. The comments were made by Mansour upon leaving a UN meeting on Tuesday. He said the ICC should hold those responsible for the lethal airstrike. “Those who are responsible for giving the orders for that crime should hear something from (Karim) Khan from the ICC,” Mansour was quoted as saying by CNN. Karim Khan is the ICC prosecutor. “If he has the courage, and I hope he does. We appreciate the fact that [he] came to the crossing, Rafah crossing, and he made a statement there. But it would be also nice to issue a warrant of arrest for those who are responsible for such crimes," Mansour said. Late on Tuesday, Israeli airstrikes hit a densely populated refugee camp on Jabaliya in the Gaza Strip, killing at least 50 Palestinians and a Hamas commander, and medics struggled to treat the casualties in the enclave where food, fuel and basic supplies are running scarce. For at least the last four days, Israeli tanks have been active in Gaza following weeks of air bombardments in retaliation for an attack by Palestinian Hamas terrorists on southern Israeli towns on October 7 and the taking of more than 240 hostages. In a statement, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said the strike by fighter jets on Gaza’s largest refugee camp, Jabaliya, had killed Ibrahim Biari, a Hamas commander it said was “pivotal” in the planning and execution of the attack. IDF spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Jonathan Conricus said dozens of Hamas combatants were in the same underground tunnel complex as Biari and were also killed when it collapsed in the attack. “I understand that is also the reason why there are many reports of collateral damage and non-combatant casualties. We’re looking into those as well,” Conricus said. Hamas spokesperson Hazem Qassem denied any senior commander was in the camp, and called the claim an Israeli pretext for killing civilians. However, a statement from Hamas said there were 400 dead and injured in Jabalia, which houses families of refugees from wars with Israel dating back to 1948. The blast at the refugee camp in Gaza left large craters surrounded by wrecked buildings. Israel has been repeatedly warning residents of Gaza to evacuate northern areas and while many have gone south, many have stayed. With inputs from agencies