Palestinians gain observer status at ICC Assembly of State Parties
The International Criminal Court’s organizational body of 122 nations in New York on Monday unanimously recognized Palestine as an observer state for the first time, a move which Palestinians hailed as an important step in achieving their final goal of formal membership.
Palestinians want to sue Israel for war crimes before the ICC, but it is unclear if they can do so, because the ICC’s judicial body has not recognized them as a state. In addition, the Palestinians have not finalized their application to the court, but they have threatened to do so, should they fail in their pursuit for a UN Security Council resolution calling for an Israeli withdrawal to the pre-1967 lines.