The Palestinian leadership plans to resort to the International Criminal Court (ICC) if Israel continues to “punish” the Palestinian people and violate the rights of Palestinian detainees, a Palestinian government minister said on 14 April. “Joining 15 international agreements and organisations is an important step for Palestine,” Palestinian Minister for Detainees’ Affairs Issa Qaraqe said. “This step will provide protection for [Palestinian] detainees in Israeli jails against oppression and torture,” Qaraqe declared at a conference held to mark Palestinian Prisoners’ Day.
Prospects for a peace deal between Israel and the Palestinians appeared to crumble late last month after Israel refused to release 26 Palestinian prisoners despite earlier pledges to do so. In retaliation, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas formally applied for Palestinian membership in 15 U.N. agencies and conventions.