UN chief says Palestine to join global criminal court

Move will allow pursuit of war-crimes charges against Israel, aids strategy to end occupation

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon said on Tuesday that the State of Palestine will join the International Criminal Court on April 1, a high-stakes move that will enable Palestine to pursue war-crimes charges against Israel.

Palestine submitted the documents ratifying the Rome Statute that established the court last Friday, the last formal step to accepting the jurisdiction of the world's permanent war crimes tribunal. The UN said the secretary-general would review the paperwork.