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Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) to Launch Diplomatic Offensive to “End Occupation”


While others boast victory and seek to spin their achievements in the Gaza War, the umbrella organization that officially speaks for the Palestinian people intends to build on Israel’s perceived vulnerability in the international community by launching a diplomatic offensive that will “end the Israeli occupation.” The process will begin with submission of an application to the United Nations Security Council on September 15 “demanding a timetable for Israel’s withdrawal” from land it acquired in the 1967 war – land that the Palestinians claim for their state-in-waiting. According to PLO Executive Committee member Nabil Shaath as quoted by the Ma’an news agency, the PLO is threatening that in the event its request for a timetable is denied, the next step will be to bring war crimes charges against Israeli leaders at the International Criminal Court at The Hague. The ICC gambit is “conditional upon the Security Council response to our request,” Ma’an reported Shaath as saying. Shaath also confirmed that a unity government with Hamas as a “full partner” will oversee the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip, but according to many, will also turn the ICC threat into a double-edged sword. Hamas and the PA could face legal exposure because of Hamas’ own putative war crimes including the firing of rockets into civilian populations.