Membership of the Rome Statute, which governs the ICC, would open the way for Palestinians to pursue criminal complaints in The Hague, but is firmly opposed by Israel and the United States.
UNITED NATIONS, United States, Jan 2 – The Palestinians formally presented a request to the United Nations on Friday to join the International Criminal Court, a move that would allow war crimes complaints to be filed against Israel.
“This is a very significant step,” Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour told reporters.
“We are seeking justice for all the victims that have been killed by Israel, the occupying power.”
Secretary General Ban Ki-moon is to review the so-called instruments of accession and notify state members on the request within 60 days.
“We are honored that we are the 123rd state-party of the ICC, which will be effective in about 60 days from now in accordance with the rules and procedures of the ICC,” Mansour said.
Palestinian leader Mahmud Abbas signed requests to join the ICC and 16 other conventions on Wednesday, a day after the Security Council failed to adopt a resolution paving the way to full statehood.
The move is part of a shift in strategy for the Palestinians, who are seeking to internationalize their campaign for statehood and move away from the US-led negotiation process.
The United States has branded the move to seek ICC membership as “counterproductive” and warned it would only push the sides further apart.
But the Palestinians hope joining the court will allow them to seek justice against Israel for its actions in the occupied territories.
The Palestinian envoy submitted the documents to the United Nations’ top legal affairs official, Stephen Mathias, at UN headquarters in New York.
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