Palestinians sign to join International Criminal Court

Palestinian leader Mahmoud Abbas has signed papers, including the Rome Statute, to join the International Criminal Court, membership of which could see the Palestinians pursue Israel on war crimes.
"We want to complain. There's aggression against us, against our land," Abbas said. 

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu was quick to condemn Abbas’ move. 
"It is the Palestinian Authority - which is in a unity government with Hamas, an avowed terrorist organisation that, like ISIS, perpetrates war crimes - that needs to be concerned about the International Criminal Court in the Hague,” Netanyahu said. 
The United States, a close ally of Israel, described the move as “counter-productive”. 
"Today's action is entirely counter-productive and does nothing to further the aspirations of the Palestinian people for a sovereign and independent state," the US State Department said in a statement. 

Palestinian chances of joining the ICC were improved in 2012 after the UN General Assembly voted to upgrade their status to that of a "non-member observer state".
It follows the rejection of a UN Security Council resolution demanding an end to the Israeli occupation of the Palestinian territories by late 2017.
Eight members of the 15-strong Security Council, including China, France and Russia, voted in favour of that resolution, while the US and Australia voted against. Five countries, including the UK abstained from voting. 

Peace talks between Palestine and Israel collapsed in Israel. Israel launched a 50-day offensive against Gaza in the summer that left over 2,100 people, the vast majority Palestinian citizens, dead. 
Israel said that 67 of its troops and six civilians had died during the war.