Palestinians prepared to trigger case as they join ICC | Egypt Independent

2.4.15

Palestinians prepared to trigger case as they join ICC | Egypt Independent: The Palestinians, who became the 123rd member of the world's permanent war crimes tribunal, said they would give prosecutors ample time to complete an initial inquiry into last year's Gaza conflict, but would formally request an investigation if it took too long.

"If it takes more (time) than expected ... we will ... issue a referral," Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told Reuters in an interview, adding that his government would not hesitate to hand over Palestinian suspects if the court asked for them.

Accession to the court is part of the Palestinians' campaign to win global recognition of statehood, but�Israel�says such unilateral moves damage prospects for a negotiated solution to the decades-old conflict.