Palestine joins ICC

Palestine formally joined the International Criminal Court yesterday, a move the Palestinians hope could open the door to the possible prosecution of Israelis for alleged war crimes.

The accession was marked at a closed-door ceremony at ICC headquarters in The Hague, exactly 90 days after Palestine joined the court's founding Rome Statute.

The Palestinians called on Israel to also join the global court, which was set up in 2002 to try crimes against humanity, war crimes and genocide.

But Israel denounced the move as "hypocritical".

"The Palestinian decision to join the ICC to initiate judicial proceedings against Israel is political, cynical and hypocritical," the foreign ministry said in a statement.

Exasperated after decades of failed negotiations with Israel and no prospect of achieving statehood anytime soon, Palestinians have been waging a campaign for recognition at international bodies including the ICC.

"Palestine seeks justice, not vengeance," foreign minister Riad Malki said after received a symbolic copy of the Rome Statute at the ceremony.

ICC chief prosecutor Fatou Bensouda in January launched a preliminary investigation into possible war crimes during last year's Gaza war.

The Palestinians have already sent the court documents authorising the prosecutor to investigate alleged crimes in the Palestinian territories since June 2014.

About 2,200 Palestinians and 73 Israelis were killed during the 50-day conflict in July and August.

Any probe of alleged Israeli crimes in Gaza would also include an investigation of the firing of rockets and mortars by Hamas militants at civilian areas in Israel.

Despite Israel not being a signatory to the world's only permanent court for the most serious crimes, the tribunal could prosecute Israelis for alleged crimes committed on Palestinian territory.

The ICC would face challenges in arresting Israeli suspects however as it does not have its own police force and relies on the cooperation of member states.

The Palestinians could in theory now refer a specific situation to the court, such as Jewish settlement building on occupied Palestinian land in the West Bank.

The Palestinians won observer status at the United Nations in 2012 and according to the Palestinian Authority, around 135 countries have now recognised the state of Palestine.