In the midst of the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza, the Palestinian foreign ministry has expressed gratitude for the joint request made by Chile and Mexico to the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate crimes against civilians. The Israeli attacks on Gaza have caused immense devastation, with a significant loss of civilian lives.

According to Israeli officials, the conflict began when Hamas fighters launched a surprise attack inside Israel on October 7, resulting in the deaths of approximately 1,140 people, the majority of whom were civilians. Israel responded with a relentless air and ground offensive, which has claimed the lives of more than 24,600 people, with around 70 percent of the casualties being children, women, and the elderly, as reported by Gaza's Health Ministry.

Mexico's foreign ministry released a statement on Thursday explaining that the referral to the ICC was prompted by growing concerns over the escalation of violence, particularly targeting civilian populations. It emphasized that the ICC, based in The Hague, is the appropriate forum to establish potential criminal responsibility. The statement also referenced numerous United Nations reports that provide detailed accounts of incidents that may constitute crimes falling under the ICC's jurisdiction.

In Santiago, Chile's capital, Foreign Minister Alberto van Klaveren affirmed the country's support for investigating possible war crimes committed by both Israelis and Palestinians. The Palestinian foreign ministry has expressed appreciation for this move, stating in a Friday statement that the referral highlights the urgency for the Court to fulfill its mandate in deterring, investigating, and prosecuting the most serious crimes of concern to the international community. The ministry's statement also condemned Israeli officials for continuing what it referred to as a "genocidal war."

Mexico further announced its close attention to a case presented last week before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), where South Africa accused Israel of carrying out genocide in Gaza and demanded an emergency suspension of Israel's military campaign. This accusation was vehemently rejected by Israel.

Both the ICJ and the ICC handle cases related to alleged genocide, with the former addressing disputes between states and the latter prosecuting individuals for crimes. The ICC commenced an investigation in 2021 into possible war crimes committed by Israel, Hamas, and other armed Palestinian groups in the Palestinian territories. In November, ICC Prosecutor Karim Khan stated that the investigation now encompasses the escalation of hostilities and violence since the October 7 attacks.

Despite not being a member of the ICC and refusing to recognize its jurisdiction, Israel finds itself under scrutiny as calls for an ICC investigation into the conflict continue to emerge from countries such as South Africa, Bangladesh, Bolivia, the Comoros, and Djibouti.

It remains to be seen how the ICC will respond to the joint request made by Chile and Mexico, and how it may impact the ongoing conflict between Israel and Gaza.