State Jurisdiction in Hamas v. Israel Case

PERTANYAAN

Lately, the issue of Hamas attacking Israel with missiles has been buzzing. Then, Hamas threatened to kill hostages if Israel continued to attack Gaza and if Israel attacked civilians. Regarding the Hamas vs Israel case, is Hamas a terrorist organization? What is the state responsibility for the crime of terrorism?

INTISARI JAWABAN

Basically, there is no universally accepted definition of terrorism. However, one of the important elements in the definition of terrorism is the element of hatred that drives terrorists to commit cruel acts beyond the limits of humanity. In addition, terrorism is also classified as an extraordinary crime that jeopardizes absolute human rights values. In terms of the characteristics of the crime, terrorism can be classified into transnational and international crimes.

So, what is the state's jurisdiction in the crime of terrorism? And is Hamas a terrorist organization?

Please take a look at the review below for a further explanation.

ULASAN LENGKAP

This article is an English translation of Yurisdiksi Negara terhadap Kasus Hamas v. Israel written by Renata Christha Auli, S.H. and was published on Friday, 13 October 2023.

All legal information available on Klinik hukumonline.com has been prepared for educational purposes only and is general in nature (read the complete Disclaimer). In order to obtain legal advice specific to your case, please consult with Justika Partner Consultant.

Definition of Terrorist and Terrorism

Before answering your question, we should first understand what is meant by terrorist. The words "terrorist" (perpetrator) and "terrorism" (action) come from the Latin word terrere which means to make tremble or thrill or to cause horror.[1] Then etymologically, terrorism has several meanings, including the use of violence to cause fear in an effort to achieve goals (especially political goals), the practice of acts of terror,[2] and acts of disruption in society to achieve political goals.[3]

Elements of the Crime of Terrorism

Basically, until now there is no universally accepted definition of terrorism.[4] This is because it is difficult to formulate a definition that can be universally accepted, both in universal, regional, and national regulations.[5] However, there are several definitions of terrorism from experts. According to Kofi Annan and Marry Robinson, the crime of terrorism can be classified as a crime against humanity, using the benchmark of a deadly attack against civilians or non-combatants.[6]

Then, the Indonesian Ulema Council stated terrorism as an act of crime against humanity and civilization that poses a serious threat to state sovereignty, danger to security, and world peace, and detrimental to the welfare of society. Terrorism is a form of crime that is well-organized, transnational in nature, and classified as an extraordinary crime that does not distinguish targets (indiscriminative).[7]

The elements of terrorism as an extraordinary crime are as follows:[8]

1. it jeopardizes the absolute values of human rights;
2. terrorism attacks are "random, indiscriminate, and non-selective" which may hit innocent people;
3. always contain elements of violence;
4. possible links with organized crime;
5. the possibility of using advanced technology such as chemical, biological, and even nuclear weapons.

Furthermore, Vincent-Joël Proulx argues that there are two essential elements of terrorism, namely:[9]

1. targeting of civilians; and
2. the existence of an ideological or political purpose.

M. Cherif Bassiouni also emphasized that one of the important elements in the definition of terrorism is the hate element. This element encourages terrorists to commit acts that are beyond the limits of humanity.[10]

From the description above, it can be concluded that terrorism is an act committed by a person or an organized group of people, through violent means that are very cruel beyond the limits of humanity, with the aim that their wishes are heard and can be implemented by the government.[11]

Is Hamas a Terrorist Organization?

To answer your question about whether Hamas is a terrorist organization? In our opinion, the fact that Hamas carried out a surprise attack on Israel does not necessarily mean that Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hamas is an Islamist group based in the Gaza Strip.[12] The formation of Hamas was motivated by the dissatisfaction of some Palestinians with the diplomatic struggle of existing Palestinian resistance organizations, such as the Palestine Liberation Organization ("PLO").[13]

Atip Latipulhayat, a professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, emphasized that until now there has been no agreement on the definition of terrorism under international law, so defining Hamas as terrorists is legally unacceptable. Because Hamas is a group of freedom fighters fighting for their independence.

So, if Hamas is not a terrorist group, what is the state's jurisdiction over Hamas carrying out attacks on Israel? To answer this, we will first explain the jurisdiction of transnational and international crimes in international law.

Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court

Basically, M. Cherif Bassiouni formulated the elements of international crimes and transnational crimes as follows:[14]

1. International element
   1. Direct threat to peace and security in the world;
   2. Indirect threat to peace and security in the world;
   3. Shakes the feelings of humanity.
2. Transnational element
   1. Actions that have an impact on more than one country;
   2. Actions involving or affecting nationals of more than one country;
   3. The means, infrastructure and methods used transcend the territorial boundaries of a state;
   4. The element of the need for cooperation between countries to carry out countermeasures.

To answer your second question, regarding the crime of terrorism, in terms of the characteristics of the crime, the crime of terrorism can be classified into transnational crimes and international crimes. If the crime of terrorism is transnational in nature, then it will be enforced through national jurisdiction.[15]

On the other hand, terrorism crime can be considered as an international crime if the crime includes gross human rights violations and is committed with a wide range or systematically, as well as causing large-scale victims.[16] However, its law enforcement remains under national jurisdiction. Nevertheless, in accordance with the complementary principle in Article 17 section (1) letter a of the Rome Statute, if the state is unwilling or unable to exercise its national jurisdiction, the International Criminal Court ("ICC") has the jurisdiction to prosecute the crime of terrorism.

In the Rome Statute, the crime of terrorism is basically not included as one of the ICC's jurisdictions. Based on Article 5 section (1) of the Rome Statute, the ICC's jurisdiction covers the four most serious international crimes that concern the international community, namely the crime of genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, and the crime of aggression. The ICC can also prosecute crimes of terrorism if the crimes of terrorism that have been committed fall within the category of crimes within the jurisdiction of the ICC.[17]

You can read more about the ICC in International Criminal Court, Here Are Its Definition and Jurisdictions.

Universal Jurisdiction

Universal jurisdiction, according to Amnesty International, is the jurisdiction under which any national court can investigate and prosecute a person accused of an international crime, regardless of the nationality of the perpetrator, the victim, or any other connection to the country in which the court is located.[18]

In this regard, every state is considered to have an interest in exercising universal jurisdiction over crimes that fall within the types of international crimes, such as piracy, slave trade, war crimes, crimes against humanity, torture, sabotage, and genocide.[19]

An example is the crime of terrorism, which applies universal jurisdiction because it has been classified as a serious crime,[20] and because the crime of terrorism is an international crime, so it is possible for every state to apply its jurisdiction regardless of whether the state is related to the crime, the perpetrator, or the victim.[21]

Subjective Territorial Jurisdiction

Continuing your question regarding Hamas' actions against Israel, since it is not classified as terrorism, in our opinion, if Hamas is proven to have committed a crime, then subjective territorial jurisdiction can apply.

Under this principle, a state has jurisdiction over a person who commits a crime that begins in its territory, but ends or causes harm in another state. For example, A is in Indonesia shooting B who is in Malaysia. Based on subjective territorial jurisdiction, Indonesia has the basis to prosecute A because A committed a crime that started in Indonesian territory, even though the harm occurred in Malaysian territory.[22] The same applies to the case of Hamas' attack on Israel. If the freedom fighter (Hamas) in Palestine fires bullets into Israel, then Palestine has jurisdiction to prosecute this case.

Also read: State and Individual Responsibility for International Crimes

These are the answers we can provide, we hope you will find them useful.

Legal Basis:

Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Reference:

1. Abdul Wahid. Kejahatan Terorisme Perspektif Agama, HAM dan Hukum. Bandung: Refika Aditama, 2004;
2. Armaidy Armawi dan Teguh Anggoro. Terorisme dan Intelijen. Jurnal Ketahanan Nasional, Vol. 15, No. 3, 2010;
3. Aulia Rosa Nasution. Terorisme Sebagai kejahatan Terhadap Kemanusiaan. Jakarta: Kencana Media Group, 2012;
4. I Komang Sanju Bayu Mustika. Yurisdiksi Pengadilan Pidana Internasional Terhadap Kejahatan Terorisme. e-Journal Komunitas Yustisia Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2021;
5. The Definition of Terrorism: A Report by Lord Carlile of Berriew Q.C., Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. Norwich: The Licensing Division, HMSO, St Clements House, 2007;
6. Tim Penanggulangan Terorisme melalui Pendekatan Ajaran Islam. Meluruskan Makna Jihad Mencegah Terorisme dilengkapi Fatwa MUI tentang terorisme. Jakarta: Departemen Agama RI, 2009;
7. Muhammad Muzammil Basyuni (et.al). Ideologi Hamas Gerakan Perlawanan Islam. Jurnal CMES, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2015;
8. Mukhammad Ilyasin (et.al). Teroris dan Agama: Konstruksi Teologi Teoantroposentris. Jakarta: Prenada Media, 2017;
9. Mulawarman Hannase. Respon Muslim Indonesia terhadap Gerakan Islamisme di Timur Tengah: Kasus Hamas dan Konflik Palestina. Jurnal Rausyan Fikr, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2016;
10. Pius A. Partanto (et.al). Kamus Ilmiah Populer. Surabaya: Arkola, 1994;
11. Romli Atmasasmita. Pengantar Hukum Pidana Internasional. Bandung: PT. Refika Aditama, 2000;
12. Sefriani. Hukum Internasional Suatu Pengantar. Jakarta: PT RajaGrafindo Persada, 2010;
13. Vincent-Joël Proulx. Rethinking the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Post-September 11^th Era: Should Acts of Terrorism Qualify as Crimes Against Humanity?. American University International Law Review, Vol. 19, Issue 5, 2003;
14. Waraney Timothy Osak (et.al). Yurisdiksi Universal dalam Mengadili Kejahatan Terorisme menurut Hukum Pidana Internasional. Jurnal Lex Crimen, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2023;
15. Windusadu Anantaya (et.al). Tanggung Jawab Negara terhadap Kejahatan Terorisme yang Melewati Batas-Batas Nasional Negara-Negara. Jurnal Kertha Negara, Vol 3, No. 3, 2015;
16. Yulia Fitriani. Jurisdiksi Negara dalam Kejahatan Terorisme. ADIL: Jurnal Hukum, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2013

NB:

We conducted a telephone interview with a professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law, Universitas Padjadjaran, Prof. Atip Latipulhayat, S.H., LL.M., Ph.D. on Wednesday, October 12, 2023, at 11:45 Western Indonesian Time (zone).

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[1] Abdul Wahid. Kejahatan Terorisme Perspektif Agama, HAM dan Hukum. Bandung: Refika Aditama, 2004, p. 22.

[2] Mukhammad Ilyasin (et.al). Teroris dan Agama: Konstruksi Teologi Teoantroposentris. Jakarta: Prenada Media, 2017, p. 42.

[3] Pius A. Partanto (et.al). Kamus Ilmiah Populer. Surabaya: Arkola, 1994, p. 748.

[4] The Definition of Terrorism: A Report by Lord Carlile of Berriew Q.C., Independent Reviewer of Terrorism Legislation. Norwich: The Licensing Division, HMSO, St Clements House, 2007, p. 3.

[5] Yulia Fitriani. Jurisdiksi Negara dalam Kejahatan Terorisme. ADIL: Jurnal Hukum, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2013, p. 209.

[6] Aulia Rosa Nasution. Terorisme Sebagai kejahatan Terhadap Kemanusiaan. Jakarta: Kencana Media Group, 2012, p. 56.

[7] Tim Penanggulangan Terorisme melalui Pendekatan Ajaran Islam. Meluruskan Makna Jihad Mencegah Terorisme dilengkapi Fatwa MUI tentang terorisme. Jakarta: Departemen Agama RI, 2009, pp. 18-19.

[8] Windusadu Anantaya (et.al). Tanggung Jawab Negara terhadap Kejahatan Terorisme yang Melewati Batas-Batas Nasional Negara-Negara. Jurnal Kertha Negara, Vol 3, No. 3, 2015, p. 3.

[9] Vincent-Joël Proulx. Rethinking the Jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in the Post-September 11^th Era: Should Acts of Terrorism Qualify as Crimes Against Humanity?. American University International Law Review, Vol. 19, Issue 5, 2003, p. 1034.

[10] Waraney Timothy Osak (et.al). Yurisdiksi Universal dalam Mengadili Kejahatan Terorisme menurut Hukum Pidana Internasional. Jurnal Lex Crimen, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2023, p. 3.

[11] Armaidy Armawi dan Teguh Anggoro. Terorisme dan Intelijen. Jurnal Ketahanan Nasional, Vol. 15, No. 3, 2010, p. 3.

[12] Mulawarman Hannase. Respon Muslim Indonesia terhadap Gerakan Islamisme di Timur Tengah: Kasus Hamas dan Konflik Palestina. Jurnal Rausyan Fikr, Vol. 12, No. 2, 2016, p. 162.

[13] Muhammad Muzammil Basyuni (et.al). Ideologi Hamas Gerakan Perlawanan Islam. Jurnal CMES, Vol. 8, No. 1, 2015, p. 103.

[14] Romli Atmasasmita. Pengantar Hukum Pidana Internasional. Bandung: PT. Refika Aditama, 2000, pp. 46-47.

[15] I Komang Sanju Bayu Mustika. Yurisdiksi Pengadilan Pidana Internasional Terhadap Kejahatan Terorisme. e-Journal Komunitas Yustisia Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2021, p. 909.

[16] I Komang Sanju Bayu Mustika. Yurisdiksi Pengadilan Pidana Internasional Terhadap Kejahatan Terorisme. e-Journal Komunitas Yustisia Universitas Pendidikan Ganesha, Vol. 4, No. 3, 2021, p. 909.

[17] Yulia Fitriani. Jurisdiksi Negara dalam Kejahatan Terorisme. ADIL: Jurnal Hukum, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2013, p. 213.

[18] Sefriani. Hukum Internasional Suatu Pengantar. Jakarta: PT RajaGrafindo Persada, 2010, p. 244.

[19] Yulia Fitriani. Jurisdiksi Negara dalam Kejahatan Terorisme. ADIL: Jurnal Hukum, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2013, p. 219.

[20] Waraney Timothy Osak (et.al). Yurisdiksi Universal dalam Mengadili Kejahatan Terorisme menurut Hukum Pidana Internasional. Jurnal Lex Crimen, Vol. 12, No. 3, 2023, p. 6.

[21] Yulia Fitriani. Jurisdiksi Negara dalam Kejahatan Terorisme. ADIL: Jurnal Hukum, Vol. 4, No. 1, 2013, p. 220.

[22] Sefriani. Hukum Internasional Suatu Pengantar. Jakarta: PT RajaGrafindo Persada, 2010, p. 242.