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Palestinians present ICC membership request to UN

– ICC to look at Gaza war, settlements –

Mansour said the Palestinians had also filed a request with the ICC in The Hague to grant retroactive jurisdiction to the court to cover alleged war crimes committed during last year’s Gaza war.

Almost 2,200 Palestinians were killed in July and August during the 50-day war in Gaza, including more than 400 children, according to UN estimates.

Mansour said the Palestinians will also be seeking to launch legal action over Jewish settlement construction, which he said was a war crime under the Rome Statute.

“This is a peaceful option, a civilized option and an option that anyone who upholds the law should not be afraid of,” he said.

The Palestinians were upgraded from observer entity to a UN “observer state” in 2012, opening the possibility for them to join the ICC and a host of other international organizations.

Israel is not a party to the Rome Statute and does not recognize the court’s jurisdiction.

Human Rights Watch legal affairs counsel Balkees Jarrah said Ban was expected to certify that the Palestinian documents are in order and that the state of Palestine can join the Rome Statute.

“The assumption is that he will accept the instruments,” said Jarrah.

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Ban could turn to the UN General Assembly for guidance, but given that it was the 193-nation body that upgraded the Palestinian status at the UN, joining the ICC would be considered a logical step following that decision, Jarrah said.

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