SAFA — The Istanbul Bar Association has submitted additional evidence to the International Criminal Court (ICC) concerning allegations of genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israeli officials and forces in the Gaza Strip.

The evidence includes photographs and video footage gathered by Turkey’s Anadolu news agency in Gaza.

A delegation from the bar association delivered the evidence dossier to the court in The Hague on Wednesday and held a news conference afterward.

Yasin Şamlı, president of the Istanbul Bar Association, said the group first submitted a complaint to the ICC on Dec. 5, 2023, concerning alleged genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes committed by Israeli forces in Gaza.

According to Şamlı, 3,061 legal professionals from 12 countries supported the initial submission with their signatures.

The association has since submitted six evidence files documenting alleged Israeli crimes against women and children, including victim testimonies, photographs, video recordings, books and reports, he said.

The evidence includes photographs of women and children who were killed, as well as reports containing data on the victims, according to Şamlı.

He added that the group had also filed criminal complaints against Israeli officials in Turkish courts and said arrest warrants had been issued against them.

“We will continue to pursue this case until those responsible for genocide and crimes against humanity are held accountable,” Şamlı said, adding that the group would continue pursuing accountability both in Turkey and internationally.

Şamlı said about 700,000 people from different countries had also supported the group’s petition through a public signature campaign.

Cahit Özkan, a member of Turkey’s ruling Justice and Development Party and parliament’s Constitutional Commission, said photographs and other evidence collected by Anadolu in Gaza represented an important source of material for proceedings before both the International Court of Justice (ICJ) and the ICC.

Özkan said the Istanbul Bar Association had submitted its files to the ICC alongside a delegation of legal professionals.

He said international public opinion and demands for accountability represented a major source of support for proceedings before international courts.

Özkan said Turkish authorities, the bar association and civil society organisations would continue supporting efforts to pursue accountability under President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

Mehmet Sarı, chairman of the Justice and Development Party’s Central Disciplinary Board, also said Turkey and Turkish society would continue advocating for justice and the rule of law in the Palestinian case.

He pledged continued efforts to pursue accountability through international courts.

The latest submission follows the delivery in July of expanded and updated editions of a three-volume series published by Anadolu to the ICC Prosecutor’s Office. The series, titled The Evidence, The Witness and The Suspect, documents Israeli actions in Gaza that Anadolu and Turkish officials characterise as genocide.

According to the report, photographs taken by Anadolu documenting Israel’s war on Gaza and included in the series have also been presented as evidence in South Africa’s case against Israel before the ICJ, where Pretoria has accused Israel of violating the Genocide Convention.

Israel has rejected accusations that it is committing genocide in Gaza and says its military operations are aimed at Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups.

The ICC and ICJ are separate international courts with different jurisdictions. The ICC prosecutes individuals accused of crimes including genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes, while the ICJ adjudicates disputes between states, including South Africa’s case accusing Israel of violating its obligations under the Genocide Convention in Gaza.