Haaretz is reporting that The International Criminal Court in the Hague will not prosecute Israeli soldiers for war crimes in the occupied territories.

The court’s chief prosecutor has said Israeli soldiers have been exempted from prosecution based on a legal technicality. Soldiers can only be tried by the ICC if permission is granted by the accused’s country or by the country where the alleged crimes are committed. The court’s prosecutor said Israeli troops are exempt because the occupied territories of Palestine are not internationally-recognized as a state.