Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas is to apply immediately to join the International Criminal Court, senior officials said on Wednesday, after the UN Security Council rejected a resolution on ending the Israeli occupation.
Abbas will sign the Rome Statute later on Wednesday, adhering to the founding treaty of the ICC, where the Palestinians could sue Israeli officials for war crimes in the occupied territories, several top officials told AFP. The Palestinian leader will also sign 15 other international conventions on Wednesday, the sources said. At 2200 IST Abbas is to meet with top officials to discuss the way forward after the abortive overnight vote at the 15-member Security Council.