Ma'an -- Hamas leader in exile Khaled Mash'al insisted on Friday that the international community bring Israel to court "locally and internationally" for what he termed crimes against Palestinians. "We welcome the vote on Goldstone's report," he added in a televised interview. "We consider it a victory for the Palestinians."
Meanwhile, de facto government spokesman Taher An-Nunu expressed appreciation and gratitude to each country that supported the resolution, particularly Egypt, the envoy of which rejected a delay proposed by France.
However, the spokesman said he was astonished that the PLO envoy focused on both parties in the conflict as if they were equal, rather than solely discussing the Israeli assault, which other nations considered more important.
An-Nunu added that his government expected Israeli military leaders to be taken to court "as they are war criminals."
The Palestinian Authority also welcomed the report's endorsement.
According to Fatah Central Committee member Mohammad Dahlan, "Endorsement of the Goldstone report is a victory."
In a statement, he added that "the vote at the Human Rights Council is the first step toward bringing Israeli war criminals - wherever they are - to the international court."