Fifty two states and three international organisations have provided comments and presentations on the legal consequences of Israel’s policies and practices in occupied Palestinian territory.
The United Nations correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the states made their presentations during the public hearing at the International Court of Justice, based on the UN General Assembly’s request for an advisory opinion.
The hearing, which began on Monday, is expected to close today.
Filed before the ongoing four-month-old war in Gaza began, the case triggered heated commentary even before the court’s president, Judge Nawaf Salam, opened the hearings.
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The General Assembly submitted two specific questions to the World Court in its December 2022 request.
The questions are “What are the legal consequences arising from the ongoing violation by Israel of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination, from its prolonged occupation, settlement and annexation of the Palestinian territory occupied since 1967, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition, character and status of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and from its adoption of related discriminatory legislation and measures?”
“How do the policies and practices of Israel affect the legal status of the occupation, and what are the legal consequences that arise for all States and the United Nations from this status?”
Palestine in its three-hour presentation during the public hearing, accused Israel of apartheid, ethnic cleansing, killings and displacement of Palestinians.
Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki began by saying, “I stand before you as 2.3 million Palestinians in Gaza, half of them children, are besieged and bombed, killed and maimed, starved and displaced, as more than 3.5 million Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, are subjected to colonization of their territory and the racist violence…”
He also said successive governments in Israel have left only three choices to Palestinians – displacement, subjugation or death.
Riyad added that the choices are for them to choose ethnic cleansing, apartheid or genocide.
The foreign minister said it is of “moral, political and legal imperative” to bring “an end to Israel’s impunity”.
“Our people are here to stay…and they will not forsake their rights,” the Palestinian foreign minister added during the submission.
South Africa had filed a separate complaint with the ICJ in December 2023 against Israel for “genocide in Gaza” – for which the court already issued provisional measures. (NAN)
