Ban Ki-moon, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, has announced that Palestinians will officially become members of the International Criminal Court (ICC) treaty as of April 1, 2015. According to the Associated Press, Mr. Ban stated in a statement published on Tuesday, January 16, that he agreed to the Palestinians' membership in this court and the formalization of their membership in sixteen other international treaties. Riyad Mansour, the ambassador of the 'Palestinian Observer State at the UN', submitted the documents for the Palestinians' accession to the ICC to an official of the court in The Hague, Netherlands, on Friday, January 1, 2015. Mahmoud Abbas, the leader of the Palestinian Authority, signed the statute for the Palestinians' accession to twenty international treaties on Wednesday, just hours after a draft resolution to 'end the occupation of Palestinian territories' was rejected in the UN Security Council, with the most significant being the request for membership in the ICC. The UN Secretary-General has agreed to the Palestinians' joining this court while Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had requested the UN to reject the Palestinians' request last week. Palestinians have stated that after their membership in this court is formalized, they will file complaints against Israel for 'war crimes'. The ICC is authorized to prosecute individuals accused of committing 'war crimes' and 'crimes against humanity' since mid-2002. Palestinian officials have indicated that they will file complaints particularly regarding last summer's war in Gaza and Israeli settlements in Palestinian territories. In the 51-day war between the Israeli army and Palestinian armed groups in Gaza last summer, over 2,100 Palestinians were killed, and extensive damage was inflicted on large areas of Gaza, including the destruction of tens of thousands of homes due to Israeli airstrikes. The UN Human Rights Council had accused Israel of 'war crimes' in this conflict. However, Mr. Netanyahu stated on Sunday, January 14, that he would defend his soldiers and officers and would not allow anyone to bring them to trial. According to the Israeli Prime Minister, 'Before anyone can prosecute Israeli soldiers, Palestinian leaders will be prosecuted in this court for their support of terrorism over decades.'
UN Secretary-General Accepts Palestine's Membership Request to the International Criminal Court
The UN Secretary-General has accepted Palestine's request to join the International Criminal Court, effective April 1, 2015. This move allows Palestinians to file complaints against Israel for alleged war crimes, particularly related to the recent Gaza conflict. The decision has sparked tensions, especially with Israeli leadership opposing the move.
👥 Key Players
📰 What Happened
The UN Secretary-General accepted Palestine's request to join the International Criminal Court, allowing them to file complaints against Israel for alleged war crimes. This decision has heightened tensions between Palestinian and Israeli leadership.
- Palestinians will become members of the ICC treaty effective April 1, 2015.
- Palestinian officials plan to file complaints against Israel related to the Gaza conflict and Israeli settlements.
💡 Why It Matters
📚 Background
The International Criminal Court was established to prosecute individuals for war crimes and crimes against humanity. The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has a long history of violence and claims of war crimes on both sides.
🏷️ Entities Mentioned
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