On January 16, 2015, Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC), Fatou Bensouda, announced that she has opened a “preliminary examination” into alleged crimes committed “in the occupied Palestinian territory, including East Jerusalem” since June 13, 2014. Ms. Bensouda stated that her Office will conduct its analysis of the Palestinian situation with “full independence and impartiality.” She also noted that a “preliminary examination is not an investigation,” but weighs “available information,” including “issues of jurisdiction, admissibility, and the interests of justice” to determine whether “there is a reasonable basis to proceed” with a full investigation. The Rome Statute sets no deadline for completing a preliminary investigation. However, according to a news article, Emeric Rogier, head of the analysis unit at ICC Prosecutor’s Office, said the process could take from a few months up to a few years.  As stated in the ICC press release, the decision to open an initial inquiry follows the Government of Palestine’s accession to the Rome Statute on January 2, 2015 and its declaration of January 1, 2015, accepting ICC jurisdiction since June 13, 2014.