Spain’s coalition government has reportedly said it will make a voluntary contribution to the Prosecutor’s Office of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate human rights violations in Gaza by Israel.

At a meeting yesterday, the Council of Ministers decided that Spain will contribute to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office in the investigation of mass human rights violations in Gaza to hold those responsible to account before the court, reports the Middle-East Monitor (MEMO).

As part of this commitment, the ICC Prosecutor’s Office Trust Fund will receive €500,000 ($541,790) in 2024, the report adds.

The ICC Prosecutor’s Office, headed by Prosecutor Karim Khan since June 2021, is one of the four organs of the ICC investigating genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.

The Prosecutor’s Office, which currently has 17 open investigations, three of which are in preliminary stages, established a fund in March 2022 to support these investigations and training.

The office is investigating human rights violations in Gaza and war crimes against journalists.

Last month, it confirmed to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) that “crimes against journalists” are included in its ongoing investigation into the situation in occupied Palestine.

RSF said that Khan’s office “stated for the first time that crimes against journalists were included in its investigation.”

The prosecutor’s office is also accepting online reports of war crimes, injury, loss of life and property destruction with Palestinians with family in the occupied territories encouraged to submit survivor claims, reports MEMO.

In December, South Africa submitted all necessary documents to the International Criminal Court (ICC), bringing war crime charges against Israel over its war in Gaza.

According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 27,019 Palestinians have been killed, and 66,139 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7. Palestinian and international estimates say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.

(Palestine Chronicle, MEMO)