RCMP says it will collect info on possible war crimes in Gaza war

The RCMP says it will "proactively" collect information about possible war crimes and crimes against humanity related to the Israel-Hamas armed conflict.

In a Wednesday statement, the Mounties stressed that they have no criminal investigations underway but they want to collect information on possible crimes by any party involved in the conflict.

"The primary objective is to proactively collect relevant information that may support future investigative steps, should jurisdictional and legal thresholds be met," says the statement.

The statement came from the force's Ontario division based in London, and not from the headquarters in Ottawa.

The RCMP says it initiated "a structural investigation" in "early 2024" of the conflict that started in October 2023, when Hamas militants brazenly attacked Israel and took dozens of hostages, prompting Israel to bombard the Gaza Strip and restrict food deliveries.

"A structural investigation is a broad, intelligence-led intake process designed to collect, preserve, and assess information potentially relevant under Canada's Crimes Against Humanity and War Crimes Act. This includes gathering open-source material and voluntary submissions from individuals wishing to provide information," the statement says.

The RCMP said that this is standard procedure and the force hasn't initiated any criminal probes.

"Should a perpetrator of core international crimes — such as genocide, war crimes, or crimes against humanity — with the appropriate nexus to Canada be identified, the RCMP will initiate a separate criminal investigation," the statement reads.

The force says it has faced technical delays in rolling out "a secure online portal available in French, English, Hebrew and Arabic, to facilitate (investigations) and secure any submissions of information by the public and potential witnesses."

"We urge the public to refrain from drawing premature conclusions about the RCMP's role or intent," the statement wrote. "This initiative is solely focused on collecting relevant information and does not target any community or group."

The RCMP statement comes after the Centre for Israel and Jewish Affairs suggested that talk of war crimes probes encourage "false narratives" that can fuel a rise in antisemitic violence.

Canadians for Justice and Peace in the Middle East, a group advocating for Palestinians, has asked the RCMP to probe Canadian citizens serving in the Israeli military in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon and Syria, given "the serious likelihood that they are involved in the commission of crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide."

Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Darryl Dyck