International Prosecutor Preparing to Open Palestinian Probe

The prosecutor of the International Criminal Court took a major step Friday toward opening an investigation into alleged war crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories, asking judges exactly what territory a future investigation could cover.

The announcement ended years of preliminary investigations into alleged crimes by both Israeli forces and Palestinians and signaled that Bensouda is preparing to open a formal probe.

While Israel is not a member of the court and does not recognize its jurisdiction, Palestinians have been recognized as a state and member and requested an investigation.