(VOVworld) – The International Criminal Court (ICC) officially granted the State of Palestine observer status at a plenary meeting in New York on Monday.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has been trying to charge Israel with war crimes in Gaza at the International Criminal Court. (Photo: Reuters)

Riyadh Mansour, the Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, said that as an ICC observer, Palestine’s role has been promoted. This will further Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’s strategy to press war crimes charges against Israel. Saeb Erakat, a top Palestinian negotiator, said Wednesday that Palestine is seeking a UN resolution to compel Israel to withdraw and halt all activities beyond the pre-1967 demarcation line.