Hamas Welcomes Official Joining Of Palestine To The ICC

Hamas welcomes official joining of Palestine to the ICC
Hamas movement welcomed on Wednesday the official joining of the state of Palestine to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague.
Ismail Radwan, a senior Hamas movement leader in Gaza, told reporters after the International Criminal Court granted the state of Palestine as an official member of the court that "we support any Palestinian effort aiming at unveiling the practices and the crimes of the occupation."
"We call on the criminal court to start immediately suing the leaders of the Israeli occupation for the crimes they committed against the Palestinian people," said Radwan.
However, he said that Hamas was always concerned that joining the court "will only be a political action aims at exerting pressure on the occupation to gain more supportive political stances."
Chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said in an emailed press statement that "the accession ceremony began on Wednesday morning at the headquarters of the ICC in The Hague, and then the announcement was made."
"The Palestinian side was fully confident that the state of Palestine would officially become a member in the court because it is a Palestinian right guaranteed by the court and the international law," said Erekat.
He went on saying after granting Palestine as a member in the ICC that "now the state of Palestine is the state member number 123 and all laws of the ICC will be applicable on it starting Wednesday."
Erekat also noted that after granting Palestine as a member in the ICC, "the court will start probes in crimes committed by Israel in the Palestinian territories, including the Gaza Strip."
He said earlier on Tuesday that the ICC had actually began the initial investigation in crimes committed by Israel after the Palestinians signed on joining the Rome Statute, which enables the Palestinians to join the ICC.
On Wednesday, the ICC had officially announced that the state of Palestine has officially become a member in the ICC after the court studies the Palestinian request applied to join the court last December.
In late December, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas signed on joining 20 international agencies and treaties, including the Rome Statue and the ICC, in response to the Israel policy of expanding settlements. (Cihan/Xinhua)