[JURIST] Germany’s top human rights official on Tuesday urged Israel to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) [official website] probe into possible war crimes in Palestinian territories. After a prosecutor for the ICC announced the investigation last week [JURIST report], Israel’s government said that it would not work with the ICC and called for its funding to be cut. Germany’s human rights commissioner Christoph Strasser [official profile] told the Associated Press that Israel’s reaction was counter-productive [AP report] and warned Israel against the proposal to suspend funding for the court.

In recent months conflict between Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory has led to the deaths of hundreds of civilians, prompting the UN and the international community to call for an end to the conflict. In November a UN human rights experts suggested [JURIST report] that the Israeli government’s use of house demolition as a punitive measure in response to alleged acts of violence by Palestinians end immediately. In September UN experts stated [JURIST report] that there has not been a single child in the Gaza Strip area not affected by the ongoing conflict. In March another UN human rights expert called on Israel [JURIST report] to cease all settlement activity and immediately withdraw settlers from Palestinian territories. In August UN Special Rapporteur on the Palestinian Territories occupied since 1967 [official website] formally requested access [JURIST report] to Israel and the Occupied Palestinian Territory to gather first-hand information into the human rights situation in Gaza.