Hamas Welcomes ICC Decision on Jurisdiction in Palestine

"Hamas welcomes the court's decision," it said, adding that the decision is "an important step to achieve justice and equity for the victims of the Israeli occupation."

On Friday, the Hague-based ICC ruled that the court has jurisdiction over the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, paving the way for a possible war crimes probe into Israeli military actions.

"The court's territorial jurisdiction in the situation in Palestine extends to the territories occupied by Israel since 1967, namely Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem," the ICC said in a press release.

Israel, which is not a member of the court, rejected the ICC decision.