Palestinians to sue Israel for Gaza war, settlement expansion at ICC

"Presenting a suit against Israel at the ICC is a major Palestinian goal," said Mohamed Ishteya, a member of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas' Fatah Party, during a meeting in Ramallah with the representing churches in the United States. "The suit will include the last Israeli aggression on Gaza and the expansion and building of settlements," said Ishteya. After the Palestinians joined 20 international agencies and treaties, including Rome Statute and the ICC, at the end of last December, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the Palestine will be an ICC member on April 1. Last month, the Palestine Liberation Organization formed a national committee composing representatives of Palestinian factions, notables and society leaders to prepare for submitting a suit against Israel at the ICC. Last summer, Israel launched a large-scale military offensive on the Gaza Strip, killing about 2,200 Palestinians and destroying many houses. Source: Xinhua