CRI听力:Abbas Says Palestinians Will Join International Criminal Court

The Palestinian president has announced that his administration has signed an agreement to join the International Criminal Court.

Mahmoud Abbas wants to pursue war crimes charges against Israel.

"I am signing this to join the International Criminal Court. We want to complain. There's aggression against us, against our land. The Security Council has disappointed us."

The decision was made after the Security Council rejected a resolution drafted by the Palestinians, setting a three-year deadline for Israel to withdraw from all occupied lands claimed by the Palestinians.

"We got vetoed. This is not the first and not the last veto. We are steadfast until we get back our rights. "

Abbas's move set the stage for a diplomatic showdown with the United States and drew an angry response from Israel.

Israel says Palestinian independence can only be reached through negotiations.

Abbas has been under heavy domestic pressure to take action against Israel following months of tensions fuelled by the collapse of US-brokered peace talks.

The defeat in the UN Security Council further raised pressure on Abbas to act.