An Assessment of International Criminal Policy Regarding Israel’s Conduct in Palestine, with Emphasis on Its Crimes in Gaza

Document Type : Original Article

Authors

fatemeh bakhtiari ¹

mohammad ali hajidehabadi ²

¹ Ph.D. Candidate in Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

² Ph.D. in Criminal Law and Criminology, Associate Professor, Department of Criminal Law and Criminology, University of Qom, Qom, Iran.

10.22067/irlip.2026.91147.1598

Abstract

International criminal policy reflects the strategies adopted on the international stage to address crimes against humanity. This policy, encompassing legislative, judicial, and executive realms, is not immune to criticism and errors. Considering Israel's crimes and aggressions in Palestinian territories generally, and the Gaza Strip specifically, the necessity of adopting appropriate international measures against these actions is undeniable. However, and especially with the continued aggressions and crimes of Israel, the ineffectiveness of these measures is felt. Therefore, a critical examination of international criminal policies and an explanation of their shortcomings becomes necessary. This paper is written using a descriptive-analytical method, library research, and referencing relevant documents. The central question of the article is: How is international criminal policy assessed concerning Israel's crimes in Palestine and Gaza? The findings indicate that the current international legislative, judicial, and executive criminal policy faces fundamental shortcomings in achieving justice and ending the long-standing conflict. The legislative criminal policy has weaknesses in drafting appropriate regulations, including criminalization or punishment, regarding such crimes. In terms of judicial criminal policy, the International Criminal Court's Prosecutor has taken a cautious approach to downplaying Israel's crimes. Furthermore, experts with nationalities from adversarial states have been selected to investigate incidents, which undermines the principle of universality and impartiality of this policy. The executive criminal policy also suffers from weaknesses in reflecting and reporting such crimes and utilizing popular capacities to alleviate the pain and suffering of the affected people of Palestine. Accordingly, legislative, judicial, and executive solutions are proposed.

Keywords

Israel

Aggression

international organizations

International criminal policy

Gaza

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