International Lawyers Team Submits Memorandum 31 One Hour Before Ceasefire for the International Criminal Court

SadaNews - In a concluding operation, Dr. Faisal Khaz’al, head of the international lawyers team representing the Palestinian people at the International Prosecutor's Office and the International Criminal Court, submitted today, Thursday, October 9, 2025, at 11 a.m. Jerusalem time, exactly one hour before signing the ceasefire agreement and ending the war in Gaza, which was signed in Sharm El Sheikh, Arab Republic of Egypt, a legal memorandum number 31 to the International Prosecutor's Office. In it, he affirmed the rights of the Palestinian martyrs, the injured, and the displaced, thus concluding the longest continuous legal practice in history, lasting 730 days, or 17,520 hours without interruption, in support of the just Palestinian cause.

A responsible source at the International Prosecutor's Office, who requested anonymity for professional safety reasons, stated that the international lawyers team submitted a supplementary memorandum to inform the International Prosecutor's Office about important contextual developments related to the situation in Gaza and the ceasefire agreement, aiming for two main objectives: Firstly, addressing the possibility of reaching a ceasefire agreement and its implications for achieving justice; and secondly, warning against any potential attempts to distract the International Criminal Court's focus afterward in favor of the accused.

Since its official assignment in October 2023, the international lawyers team has been diligently working for the Palestinian people, documenting around the clock without interruption all events in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, where it has engaged in highly complex legal and political battles under the leadership of Kuwaiti Dr. Faisal Khaz’al, with members including Tunisians Chawki Al-Tabib, Assistant Secretary-General of the Arab Lawyers Union, Akram Zaribi, the team's official spokesperson, and Palestinian Suhail Ashour, former president of the Palestinian Bar Association.

Dr. Faisal Khaz’al, head of the international lawyers team, stated in a special comment: "In light of cautious expectations for the possibility of signing a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in Gaza at 12 noon Jerusalem time, scheduled for October 9, 2025, in Sharm El Sheikh, which is supposed to lead to an immediate end to hostilities, there is a deep concern that the international memory of the atrocities and crimes against humanity committed may be overshadowed, transforming them into mere abstract historical narratives lacking the true embodiment of the depth of human suffering and the necessity for accountability. In this context, we submitted a memorandum to the International Prosecutor's Office, based on its core mandate under the Rome Statute, in which we mentioned that ending the armed conflict does not mean ending the path of justice, emphasizing that legal mechanisms are the crucial tool for transforming the raw historical narrative into an recognized judicial record. Hence, the international lawyers team strongly urged the International Criminal Court to remain steadfast in its investigations and ensure that it is not subjected to the fluctuations of political interests or the forgetting of victims over time, while continuing to advocate on behalf of all victims and displaced persons, and striving as a sacred duty towards a fair trial for those responsible for these crimes within the framework of international law, to ensure that justice commensurate with the magnitude of what occurred is achieved."

After the official signing of the agreement concerning Gaza on Thursday at 12 noon, and the Israeli government holding a session to ratify it, the provisions of the agreement came into effect according to the announced timeline, which includes the withdrawal of Israeli forces to the agreed lines within 24 hours of signing, while remaining in 53% of the territory until the last prisoner is released. The release of living prisoners is scheduled to begin on Sunday, followed by the return of the bodies of deceased prisoners on Monday, and it was agreed that 600 trucks of humanitarian aid would enter Gaza daily. This schedule, which also includes political events such as President Trump's visit and his speech in the Knesset on Sunday, is subject to potential modification or delay, as the release of prisoners will occur over a 72-hour period and not solely at its conclusion.

Dr. Faisal Khaz’al concluded his statement by saying: "In light of the current developments, we directed the attention of the esteemed prosecutor to a deliberate and misleading strategy that may be employed after the signing of any agreement, where certain parties may seek to undermine the path of justice by artificially expanding the scope of the conflict by introducing marginal issues and external parties, with the aim of obscuring the essential truths and distracting the international prosecutor's focus. These deceptive tactics represent a clear attempt to weave a complex web of complications that hinder the Court's ability to clearly and effectively adjudicate the core crimes within its jurisdiction. Therefore, the international lawyers team urges the Prosecutor's Office, with urgency and respect, to exercise utmost vigilance and insight in evaluating all claims and information, while avoiding falling into this trap or being swept away by narratives designed to divert attention from the core allegations related to war crimes and crimes against humanity that are central to the preliminary investigation."

In its closing memorandum, the international lawyers team representing the Palestinian people at the International Prosecutor's Office and the International Criminal Court emphasized that while the ceasefire is a significant humanitarian step, it should not slow down the urgent momentum towards achieving legal accountability, seeing that the role of the International Prosecutor's Office as the guardian of international criminal law has become more critical than ever. The team expressed confidence that it will continue its work with integrity and independence to ensure that victims are not denied justice, even if delayed. They also explicitly reiterated all memoranda, allegations, and requests for action detailed in their initial complaint submitted on December 6, 2023, and the subsequent supplementary memoranda, including comprehensive evidence and legal arguments in its appendices from 1 to 31, where the efforts of the international lawyers team led to the issuance of arrest warrants against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Minister of Defense Yoav Galant.