The International Centre of Justice for Palestinians (ICJP) has launched Global 195, an international initiative to hold Israel accountable for war crimes in Gaza, Anadolu Agency reported.

The initiative - backed by legal and civil society organisations from the UK, Canada, Turkiye, Norway, Malaysia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina - is designed to bring Israeli and dual nationals accused of war crimes in Gaza to trial worldwide.

It targets senior Israeli military and political figures, as well as others responsible for violations of international law. In select countries, the coalition intends to launch special prosecutions against individuals linked to war crimes.

Speaking to Anadolu, ICJP director Tayab Ali said that the ICJP had been collecting evidence of war crimes in Gaza for the past 18 months, compiling a substantial amount of material in line with British criminal legal standards.

He emphasised that this evidence establishes a clear narrative of war crimes committed by Israel, prompting the launch of Global 195.

Ali explained that the initiative's goal is to set up independent legal groups in every country.

“We named the project Global 195 because there are 195 states worldwide, and we aim to spread this initiative globally,” he said.

The initiative will enable legal groups to use the collected evidence to file complaints with local law enforcement agencies.

In cases where authorities fail to investigate or prosecute, these groups will seek private arrest warrants and initiate private prosecutions against individuals accused of war crimes.

US may not respond, but others will

However, Ali acknowledged that certain governments may continue to shield war crimes suspects.

“For example, I cannot imagine the United States even considering prosecuting anybody from Israel, no matter what the individual did, under the present administration,” he noted.

“But that’s not the case for every country. As ICJP, we have travelled across the globe, engaging with officials at the ambassador, foreign minister, justice minister, and even head of state levels.

“There is an appetite to act, even if governments lack the ability to do so. Our initiative has been welcomed by multiple governments, and we will continue our work,” he added.

Shena Martinez of ICJP Canada pointed out that many foreign nationals from countries like the UK and Canada serve in the Israeli armed forces, yet their governments fail to enforce legal action against them despite potential involvement in war crimes or other illegal activities.

- Bernama

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