AMMAN — A group of Jordanian lawyers has filed a formal complaint with the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), accusing senior Israeli officials of “genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza.”

 

The complaint names prime minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli minister of heritage, and the chief of staff and the commander of the Israeli air force.

 

The complaint, a copy of which was seen by The Jordan Times,alleges that these officials bear responsibility for policies and military operations that resulted in mass civilian casualties, widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, and the forced displacement of hundreds of thousands of Palestinians.

 

According to the complaint, entire residential neighbourhoods within the so-called buffer zone were destroyed, displacing more than 400,000 people. It also cites the targeting of schools, mosques and universities, in addition to the siege of hospitals in northern Gaza, most notably Kamal Adwan Hospital, “where supplies were cut off before an airstrike killed doctors, nurses and patients.”

 

The complaint cites the arrest and alleged torture of hospital staff, including the director, in detention facilities in the Negev Desert.

 

The director of Gaza's Kamal Adwan hospital, Hussam Abu Safiya, a 52-year-old paediatrician, was reportedly detained by Israeli forces in December and held in "inhumane" conditions and was subjected to "physical and psychological intimidation", his lawyer told AFP.

 

On December 27, Israeli forces began an assault on the facility and arrested dozens of medical staff including Abu Safiya.

 

Evidence attached to the complaint includes video footage of Israeli soldiers engaged in the demolition of Palestinian homes. In one case, a soldier reportedly shared videos of such destruction on his personal social media accounts.

 

“This illustrates the systematic nature of the violations committed against civilians,” signatories of the complaint said, adding that their move was “essential to ensure accountability and to reaffirm Jordan’s commitment to human rights and international justice.”

 

“The complaint is grounded in the fact that these crimes have breached international peace and security and must not go unpunished,” said lawyer Abdelrahman Khazaleh, a professor of law and practising attorney.

 

“What is most important is ensuring that the perpetrators, instigators and their accomplices are prosecuted effectively,” he added.

 

Khazaleh said, “The UN Charter explicitly prohibits the threat or use of force, and the ICC was established precisely to address genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and crimes of aggression,” he said.

 

The filing invokes Articles 6, 7 and 8 of the Rome Statute, covering genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, as well as provisions prohibiting nuclear threats. The lawyers said that repeated statements by Israeli leaders suggesting the possible use of a nuclear weapon against Gaza further highlight the gravity of the situation.

 

The ICC has exercised jurisdiction over the State of Palestine since 2015. In November 2024, the Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and then-defence minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes, including starvation as a weapon of war.

 

Israel rejects the Court’s jurisdiction, while human rights organisations such as Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have repeatedly warned that Israeli actions in Gaza may constitute grave breaches of international law.