Is Abbas stalling Gaza war crimes probe?

There has been no international investigation into war crimes in Gaza so far. Leaked document may hold clues as to why. Last updated: 12 Sep 2014 19:33

The Palestinian Authority has so far prevented the launch of a formal investigation into the alleged war crimes committed by Israel and Palestinian factions during the 50-day Gaza war last July and August, according to officials at the International Criminal Court. In a confidential letter obtained exclusively by Al Jazeera's Investigative Unit, ICC's top prosecutor Fatou Bensouda says she "did not receive a positive confirmation" from PA Foreign Minister Riad Malki that the request, submitted by the Palestinian justice minister for an international investigation, had the Palestinian government's approval. Both the PA and Hamas have publicly called for an investigation by the ICC into the alleged war crimes. On July 25, PA Justice Minister Saleem al-Saqqa and Palestinian General Prosecutor Ismaeil Jabr submitted a letter to the ICC via a French law firm calling for an investigation. However, according to ICC regulations, "only the Head of State, Head of Government and Minister of Foreign Affairs" can grant the international body jurisdiction to investigate. Twelve days later, FM Malki travelled to The Hague to meet top ICC officials: "We must do everything within our power to enable the International Criminal Court to bring to justice those responsible for committing war crimes," Malki said. Continue