Fatou Bensouda, prosecutor at the International Criminal Court (ICC), rejected claims that she is biased in favor of the Palestinian Authority.

In an interview with the Hebrew-language Maariv, Bensouda said: "The International Criminal Court is acting according to the principle of personal responsibility for crimes. It does not deal with conflicts between countries and it does not sue countries."

She emphasized: "At this point no charges have been filed against any Israeli or Palestinian, and the investigation has not been opened."

"If and when it is opened, the General Prosecutor's office will manage an independent investigation with no inquiries, and which will be based only on proofs. In the court's process, according to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court, every suspect enjoys the required legal guarantees, including the presumption of innocence from crime until his guilt is proven, and the right to a lawyer of his choosing."

Earlier this month, Bensouda announced that she planned to investigate Israel for "war crimes" committed against Arabs in the Palestnian Authority-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria.

Bensouda urged judges to rule on the court's jurisdiction "without undue delay," noting that she needed no approval to open the investigation, since the PA itself had submitted the complaint.