'We are going through hell': Families of hostages held in Gaza to file complaint with ICC against Hamas
Haim Rubinstein from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the campaign group will file a case against Hamas leaders at the ICC
A man holds a sign calling for the release of the hostages taken by Hamas militants to Gaza during the 7 October attack, during a demonstration in Tel Aviv, Israel, on 20 January, 2024. AP
Over 100 family members of hostages held in Gaza flew to The Hague in the Netherlands on Wednesday to formally file a complaint over “crimes against humanity” to the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Hamas abducted about 250 people during their October 7 attack on Israel out of which 130 are still held captive, according to Israeli officials.
‘Not just our story’
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Before boarding the flight to The Hague, Ofri Bibas, whose brother is held captive by Hamas said, “This is not just our story. If we don’t stop this, tomorrow it will be the story of the entire world.”
“The entire human race must stand together against a global terror army, of which Hamas is just one unit on its mission,” she added.
Haim Rubinstein from the Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the campaign group will file a case against Hamas leaders at the ICC.
“We are the families of the hostages who have gone through and are still going through this terrible hell,” Rubinstein said in a televised briefing from Ben Gurion airport near Tel Aviv.
“We will file charges against Hamas members and their collaborators and ensure that they pay the heaviest price for the crimes against humanity that they continue to commit.”
Hostage negotiations
The Israeli government has been under immense pressure from the families of the remaining hostages who are demanding their secure release.
Last year in November, Hamas released some hostages in phases as part of a deal brokered by Qatar and the US.
In the latest move, Israeli intelligence chief David Barnea met CIA Director William Burns in the Egyptian capital on Tuesday for talks on a Qatari-brokered plan to halt fighting in Gaza.
ICC calls for hostage release
Earlier this week, ICC’s chief prosecutor Karim Khan called for the immediate release of all hostages held captive by Hamas while he also raised concerns about a possible Israeli ground incursion into Rafah.
Khan said on X, formerly Twitter, that his office’s investigation into events in Gaza is “being taken forward as a matter of the utmost urgency”.
With inputs from AFP
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