NEW YORK, Feb 11: The Palestinian Authority has asked the International Criminal Court (ICC) at The Hague to investigate allegations of war crimes committed by Israeli commanders during the recent war in Gaza, says a report in the New York Times.

Palestinian Minister of Justice Ali Kashan first raised the issue during a visit to the court’s chief prosecutor late last month and he and other officials were due back in The Hague this week, court officials told the newspaper.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the prosecutor, had initially said he lacked the legal basis to examine the case. But since the Palestinian Authority signed a commitment on Jan 22 recognising the court’s authority, the prosecutor has appeared more open to studying the Palestinian claim.

“The prosecutor has agreed to explore if he could have jurisdiction in the case,” said Beatrice Le Fraper, the director of jurisdiction for the prosecution. She cautioned that accepting jurisdiction would not automatically set off a criminal investigation. “We are still very far from any decision; this is just the beginning of a long process,” she said.

The prosecutor has received more than 200 requests to look into allegations of war crimes.