Abbas says he will turn to ICC if efforts to end Israeli occupation fail

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said on Tuesday that he is planning to join the International Criminal Court (ICC) if his efforts to secure a timeline for ending the Israeli occupation of Palestine through the UN Security Council fail, Anadolu news agency reported.

Speaking to reporters after his meeting with the Japanese envoy to the peace process, he explained that the Palestinian leadership is seeking a state according to the 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital, identifying the exact timeline for this to happen upon the resumption of peace talks.

Abbas expected an American veto against his efforts at the Security Council, but said that he would turn directly to the ICC if that veto took place.

Regarding his relations with Washington, he admitted that: “The situation is tense; it is not in our interest to cause more tension,” adding that, “But we also cannot back down now; we will head to the Security Council; the political confrontation will be fierce.”

Earlier this week, the PA president gave a speech at the UN General Assembly calling for the Israeli occupation to refrain from any further aggression against Palestinians. He also accused the Israelis of committing genocide against the Palestinians in Gaza.