Israeli lawyer goes after Hamas strongman in international court

An Israeli attorney on Monday filed a motion with the International Criminal Court demanding it launch a war crimes investigation against Hamas leader in the Gaza Strip Ismail Haniyeh over his actions during the 2014 military conflict with Israel.

Attorney Michael Calev Myers, founder of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, a nonprofit human rights organization, is pursuing action in The Hague through the "Israel-Li" ("Israel to Me") movement he chairs.

The motion claims that Haniyeh played a key role in the consistent violation of the Palestinian population's human rights during the military campaign in July-August 2014, claiming he encouraged, and in some cases personally financed, illegal activities that undermined their rights.

Myers argues that during the conflict, Hamas systematically used the civilian population as a shield, its operatives fired rockets from the midst of population centers, and it used schools, hospitals and mosques to store weapons, with the result that more than 2,100 Palestinians were killed in Gaza during the conflict. Furthermore, the terrorist group did not fire its rockets only at military targets, the motion said.

Myers is scheduled to meet with Chief ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda on Monday to present the motion.

According to Myers, his newly formed group is dedicated to matters of security. The movement "prefers not to wait for an attack on Israel in the international arena, but rather take the initiative and go after those who wish us harm," he said.