Saeb Erekat
Saeb ErekatIssam Rimawi/Flash 90

Senior Palestinian Authority (PA) official Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday that it is "internationally legal" for the International Criminal Court (ICC) to continue its investigations against Israel despite the PA’s abolition of all agreements with Israel, the Xinhua news agency reported.

The ICC's decision to move ahead with investigations against Israel Judea, Samaria, Gaza and eastern Jerusalem "is an important development," Erekat, secretary-general of the Palestine Liberation Organization Executive Committee, told Voice of Palestine radio.

His comments came after the ICC’s Chief Prosecutor, Fatou Bensouda, told the ICC's Pretrial Chamber that even though the PA had ended the agreements with Israel and the United States, the ICC will move ahead with its investigations of alleged “war crimes” against Israel.

"Nothing obstructs the decisions of holding Israeli officials accountable before the ICC ... (those) who commit crimes of settlement, annexation and collective punishment," said Erekat, who chairs the National Committee to follow up with the ICC.

Bensouda recently ruled that “Palestine” is a state and the ICC has jurisdiction involving its cases.

She had announced this past December that she intends to open a full investigation into alleged Israeli “war crimes”, but before opening a full probe, asked the ICC to rule on the territory over which it has jurisdiction because of the "unique and highly contested legal and factual issues attaching to this situation."

However, after PA chairman Mahmoud Abbas announced last month that he is renouncing all agreements with Israel due to its plans to apply sovereignty over Judea and Samaria, Bensouda asked the PA for clarifications.

The PA said in response that Abbas' statements should not be considered part of the legal process at the ICC and that "political" aspects should be avoided in legal proceedings.