The International Court of Justice will assess the legality of Israel's military governance in the West Bank and Gaza. Beginning February 19, representatives from 52 countries will present their arguments over one week to the judges of the UN's top court.

The judges of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) are preparing to examine the heart of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict at hearings to be held at the Peace Palace in The Hague from February 19 to 26. These debates are not linked to the request by South Africa, which, at the end of December 2023, accused Israel of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The hearings that will open on Monday were launched a year earlier, in December 2022. At that time, the UN General Assembly had asked the UN's highest court to issue a legal opinion on Israel's occupation of the Palestinian territories.

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According to the resolution adopted at the end of 2022 by 87 States, with 53 abstentions and 26 votes against, the judges are called upon to ascertain "the legal consequences of Israel's violation of the Palestinians' right to self-determination, its occupation, colonization and prolonged annexation of Palestinian territory since 1967." In other words, the judges are to rule on the legality of Israel's occupation.

The issue is not new. The Israel-imposed regime in the West Bank and Gaza Strip dates back more than half a century. Several reports by the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights have deemed the occupation illegal "due to its permanence and the Israeli government's de facto annexation policies." No judge, however, has so far confirmed this. Although the ICJ's legal opinions are not binding, they do carry considerable political weight, as legal experts like to point out.

Where to watch: UN web TV
Link: https://webtv.un.org/en/asset/k13/k13jfq7uqb

Source: https://www.lemonde.fr/en/international/article/2024/02/19/icj-prepares-to-examine-legality-of-israeli-occupation-of-palestine_6538242_4.html

BREAKING: SOUTH AFRICAN REPRESENTATIVE TO THE ICJ ON ISRAEL’S CRIMES

“All settlements must be dismantled and the two-state solution implemented.”

“Israel is seriously violating international law and must be put to an end.”

“The Israeli violence and attacks on Gaza are contrary to international law

The Israeli attacks in the Gaza Strip are more horrific than the apartheid regime

The Palestinian people must be allowed to exercise their right to self-determination

What Israel is doing exacerbates the situation of the Palestinians and makes them worse

The Palestinians in Gaza live in an isolated and disunited area and are subjected to a siege by Israeli forces.

The aggression on the Gaza Strip violates the rights to life, and Israel must be held accountable for its actions

Israel committed the greatest crime against the Palestinian people, which is genocide

The Palestinians are subjected to illegal detention called administrative detention

The international community as a whole must develop mechanisms to respect the right to self-determination of the Palestinian people

Israel's acquisition of Palestinian lands by force is illegal and constitutes aggression

We call for the withdrawal of the Israeli army from the occupied Palestinian territories because it violates international law

The measures taken by Israel hinder the right of the Palestinians to self-determination

Israel must abide by international laws, especially humanitarian laws, in the occupied Palestinian territories

Israel's continued construction of settlements on the occupied Palestinian territories is a violation of the Geneva Convention.”

BREAKING: ALGERIA LEGAL TEAM SPEAK AT THE ICJ ON ISRAELI WAR CRIMES

“Israel's goal is to reach a situation where it is impossible to establish a Palestinian state.”

“The Palestinian situation is a striking illustration of the violent contrast that exists between theoretical appearances and reality.”

SAUDI ARABIA SPEAK ABOUT ISRAEL’S WAR CRIMES AND ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

“Israel defends its brutality as a price for defeating Hamas. The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia firmly rejects this logic.

Israel's actions in laying waste to the Gaza Strip, killing and mining dozens of thousands of innocent civilians, depriving them of water, food, and the basic means of survival, while displacing the entire population are not justified under any circumstances.”

SAUDI ARABIA OFFICIAL STATEMENT

Saudi Ambassador Ziyad bin Maashi Al-Attiyah

“We affirm our position that if this court refrains from hearing this case, this means that the system that protects states will lose its credibility.

“Israel” continues to implement its notorious settlement policies despite the decisions of the Court and the UN Security Council

“Israel” has no intention of reaching a negotiation process

It is frustrating what is coming out of the Israeli leaders with their intentions regarding ethnic cleansing and forced displacement.
We affirm our position that if this court refrains from hearing this case, this means that the system that protects states will lose its credibility.

“Israel” continues to implement its notorious settlement policies despite the decisions of the Court and the UN Security Council

Israel's insistence on Jerusalem as its unified capital contradicts the Palestinians' right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent state.

Saudi Arabia emphasizes that violating international law leads to violating people’s dignity and depriving them of their rights

We ask the court to issue a ruling that the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal.”

BREAKING: NETHERLANDS ARE PRESENTING THEIR CASE TO THE ICJ ABOUT ISRAELI CRIMES

BREAKING: BANGLADESH PRESENT THEIR CASE TO THE ICJ AGAINST ISRAELI WAR CRIMES AND ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

NETHERLANDS REPRESENTATIVE SPEAKS OUT AGAINST ISRAELI ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

“No sovereignty can be imposed on an occupied territory and the occupying power must not displace the population of the occupied territories.”

BREAKING: BELGIUM PRESENT THEIR ARGUMENT TO THE ICJ ABOUT ISRAEL’S ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

NETHERLANDS ARGUMENTS TO THE ICJ AGAINST ISRAELI ILLEGAL OCCUPATION

The right to self-determination is applicable to people under occupation and colonial domination, as well as people living in independent states.

A prolonged occupation obstructs the principle of self-determination.

The occupying power shall not deport or transfer part of the population in the territory it occupies, which constitutes a war crime under the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court.

Once an occupation has occurred, the occupying power has the duty to respect and protect civilians.

A serious breach of a peremptory norm should be dealt with in the context of the United Nations, but if this fails, states shall cooperate to bring the unlawful situation to an end.

They shall not recognise as lawful the situation created by such breach and shall not render aid or assistance in maintaining the situation.

This nonsense is going no where. Proper waste of time.
No one can stop Israel from destroying Hamas, not even the ICJ!

BANGLADESH PRESENT THEIR ARGUMENT TO THE ICJ AGAINST ISRAEL WAR CRIMES

Israel’s occupation runs counter to three basic tenants of international law: The right to self-determination; the prohibition to acquire territory by force; the prohibition of racial discrimination and apartheid.

As mandated by international law, any occupation must be temporary and acquiring territory is illegal. Israel’s prolonged occupation, coupled with the acquisition of territory, violates international law.

The right to self-defence does not justify the violation of international law, including the right to self-determination. Israel cannot rely on self-defence to justify its actions.

There is broad consensus that Israel, through its denial of self-determination of the Palestinian people, has violated peremptory norms of international law while also hindering the prospects for a just and lasting peace.

After all their presentations they would still come back to contribute in equipments or money to Israel on her war effort against the terrosit...!!