Palestine (Washington Insider Magazine)— Piles of court documents, in both English and Arabic, filled the desk and floor of Triestino Mariniello’s home office in Messina, Italy, this past March. Mariniello, a criminal prosecutor for the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR), along with a team of lawyers from Gaza, has spent months working on a case to prosecute Israel for genocide.
Despite being far from the war zone, the team, led by PCHR director Raji Sourani, sought solace in Messina to continue their legal battle. “We wanted to detach ourselves from the constant horrors,” Mariniello told Al Jazeera, referring to the challenges of working amidst the ongoing conflict. The team, which includes international law professor Chantal Meloni, has focused on gathering evidence to bring their case to the International Court of Justice (ICJ).
Sourani, who narrowly survived an Israeli airstrike in Gaza, joined Mariniello in Sicily after fleeing Gaza with his family. He considers this collaboration more than just a professional effort—it’s a deep personal commitment to Gaza’s victims. “We’ve been documenting the horrors Gazan families have gone through for years,” Mariniello said, emphasizing the importance of humanizing victims who have been stripped of their dignity.
The legal team represents the families of countless victims of Israeli attacks in Gaza, including the late PCHR lawyer Nour Naser Abu al-Nour and 26-year-old Dana Yaghi, both of whom were killed in February 2024. These tragedies underscore the urgency of their work, especially as the team has documented systemic aggression dating back to the 2014 blockade.
While they previously submitted documentation to the International Criminal Court in 2021, progress has been slow. In light of the lack of resolution, the team has shifted its focus to the ICJ, which recently warned of the possibility of genocide in Gaza. Mariniello explained how Israel’s actions, including targeting hospitals and blocking humanitarian aid, fit this definition.
Sourani, reflecting on the experience of working in Messina, expressed hope that the international community would take stronger action. “Watching the Etna volcano reminded me of my people. Like a volcano, we will never calm down until we achieve justice,” he said.
The team’s efforts have not gone unnoticed. In a public lecture in Messina, Mariniello emphasized the vital role of ordinary citizens in supporting the legal cause, highlighting how public pressure helped end apartheid in South Africa. “Without public support, a legal case cannot change history,” he stated.
With the case now headed to The Hague, the team hopes their relentless documentation of Israel’s actions will ultimately lead to justice for Gaza’s victims.
