Palestinians Press UN for Israel Pullout
"We want a specific time frame to end the occupation,” chief Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erekat said on Tuesday, Press TV reported.
"We are hoping to achieve this resolution before the end of the month, before Christmas as a matter of fact," he noted.
"We're being helped a great deal in the Security Council by many nations," Erekat added, referring to recent votes of British, French, and Spanish MPs in favor of recognizing Palestine as a state.
Israel occupied the Palestinian territories of East al-Quds, the Gaza Strip, and the West Bank during the Six-Day War of 1967. Tel Aviv withdrew from Gaza in 2005, but its forces have been carrying out regular deadly forays into the sliver ever since the pullout.
Erekat said the Palestinians hoped the United States would not veto the resolution, but that if it does, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas “will be signing immediately 22 conventions," ensuring Palestinian membership of the International Criminal Court (ICC).
Palestine secured an observer status at the ICC at the summit meeting of the court’s 122 member states in New York on Monday.
Joining the ICC could potentially open the door to war crimes charges against Israel, both for its deadly military actions in Gaza and for the ongoing construction of Israeli illegal settlements on occupied land.
