Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul-Gheit said Saturday his ministry was quick to act right after the furore over the killing of Egyptian POWs in the 1967 war triggered by the Israel TV documentary "Spirit of Shaked".

Abul-Gheit told reporters that the ministry firstly summoned the Israeli ambassador in Cairo to get clarifications on the matter, and then asked the Egyptian embassy in Tel Aviv to do the same with the Israeli Foreign Ministry, Abul-Gheit added.

"Away from any outbidding, I directly contacted Israeli Foreign Minister to discuss the matter," Abul-Gheit said.

I also sent a formal sharp-worded message to the Israeli Foreign Minister, Tzipi Livni, demanding clarifications, he added.

A meeting by all competent authorities in Egypt was also held at the ministry HQs, Abul-Gheit added.

Talking about available legal options that could be taken in this regard, Abul-Gheit said that it was impossible to resort to the International Criminal court (ICC), explaining that under the Court's statute anyone who committed any crime before the statute's entering into force on July 1, 2002 is not liable for prosecution by the court.

Such matter is not applicable to crimes committed during Egypt's war with Israel, said Abul-Gheit.

As for opting for the International Court of Justice, Abul-Gheit said that the court's statute also stipulated that the two contesting parties must agree on filing the case in the court, adding he did not believe Israel would agree.

Regarding the establishment of an international tribunal to investigate the case, Abul-Gheit said that the UN Security Council should issue a resolution to establish an international tribunal, adding that some of the five permanent members of the council would certainly object to it.

After the documentation step, as long as the victims are Egyptians and the crime was committed on Egyptian soil, their families and civil society organizations should file suits in Egyptian courts, said Abul-Gheit.

He added that if the courts issued sentences against the criminals even in absentia, in such case "we could proceed through international channels to seek the handing over of the culprits".