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Palestinians to prosecute Israel at ICC on June 25: official

Xinhua, May 20, 2015 Adjust font size:

A senior Palestinian diplomat announced on Wednesday that the Palestinians are to submit two suits against Israel to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague on June 25.

Nabil Abu Zneid, the Palestinian ambassador in the Netherlands, told "Voice of Palestine" radio that the two suits are related to the Israeli settlement in the West Bank and the Israeli war waged on the Gaza Strip last summers.

"Palestinian Foreign Minister Reyad el-Malki is to head a high-ranking Palestinian delegation that comprises rights groups, and will submit the two suits against Israel to the international court on June 25," said Abu Zneid.

On April 1, the non-member observer state of Palestine became a member in the ICC and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

The senior Palestinian diplomat said "the train has already departed the station and Israel has to hurry up to catch it, because refusing to deal with the ICC would be a wring Israeli choice."

"One month after submitting the two suits against Israel, a top ICC delegation will visit the Palestinian territories to probe the two suits," Abu Zneid said, adding that "but we still don't know how Israel will deal with their visit."

The visit of a top ICC delegation in the Palestinian territories will be the first ever of such high-ranking delegation to the West Bank, Gaza Strip and east Jerusalem.

"The ICC delegation will meet both Israeli and Palestinian sides," said Abu Zneid, adding that "all of us are waiting how Israel will be reacting to the visit of the ICC delegation to the Palestinian territories." Endit