article_snippet.sent: The formal accession was marked with a ceremony at The Hague, in the Netherlands, where the International Criminal Court is based.
article_snippet.sent: Later that month, the ICC opened a preliminary examination into the situation in Palestinian territories, paving the way for possible war crimes investigations against Israelis.
article_snippet.sent: Rights group Human Rights Watch welcomed the development.
article_snippet.sent: In January, when the preliminary ICC examination was opened, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu described the preliminary ICC examination as an outrage, saying the court was overstepping the preliminary ICC examination boundaries.
article_snippet.sent: While a preliminary examination is not a formal investigation, a preliminary examination allows the court to review evidence and determine whether to investigate suspects on the warring sides.
article_snippet.sent: The inquiry will include alleged war crimes committed since June.
article_snippet.sent: the court was set up in 2002 to prosecute genocide, crimes against humanity and war crimes.