The Palestinian community has hailed the groundbreaking verdict by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) which declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories as contrary to international law. The Palestinian President, Mahmoud Abbas, branded the judgement achieved from the UN court as ‘historic’, insisting on the enforcement of the ruling on Israel. Riyad al-Maliki, the Palestinian foreign minister, labelled the judgement a ‘turning point’.
The ICJ verdict also received approval from Jordan’s foreign minister, who highlighted that the decision firmly supported the rights of Palestinians to justice, freedom, and statehood, as voiced by Ayman Safadi through a post on X.
On Friday, the UN court mandated Israel to promptly terminate their occupation of Palestinian territories. It additionally demanded Israel to fully compensate for their ‘internationally unlawful actions’, a comprehensive and critical advisory opinion suggesting that the occupation infringes upon international law.
The ruling by International Court of Justice confirmed the violation of law in Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories, which weakens global support for Israel. The UN court’s provocative ruling on Israeli occupation of territories is hailed as ‘historic’ by Palestinians.
The advisory opinion on the matter is set to be transmitted to the global body composed of 193 members by the UN secretary general, António Guterres. The next steps are in the hands of the general assembly, according to UN deputy spokesperson Farhan Haq.
The ICJ’s opinion established that Israel is obligated to make reparations to Palestinians for the damages resulting from the occupation. It additionally ruled that the UN security council, the general assembly, and every state, have a duty to not acknowledge the occupation as lawful, nor to provide aids in maintaining it. While the verdicts of the court are not obligatory, they have significance under international law.
Contrarily, Israel’s foreign ministry rebuffed the court’s judgement as ‘fundamentally erroneous’ and one-sided, reinforcing their position that a resolution to the regional conflict could only be mediated via negotiations. “The Jewish nation cannot be considered as an invader in its own land,” announced Israeli prime minister Binyamin Netanyahu’s office.
In other news, US secretary of state, Antony Blinken emphasised that a much-needed ceasefire between Israel and Hamas was in view.
While addressing the Aspen security assembly in Colorado last Friday, the speaker asserted that work towards an agreement, which might eventually result in a ceasefire, the release of the captives and lay the groundwork for lasting peace and stability, is progressing and approaching fruition. Yet, he acknowledged that there are unresolved issues that require negotiation, which they are actively participating in.
The efforts to negotiate a ceasefire agreement to liberate the hostages who have been held captive since the Hamas attacks on 7th October are receiving significant assistance from the United States, working hand in hand with Qatar and Egypt. The agreement will also facilitate the provision of a sizeable amount of humanitarian aid to the enclave that has been seriously ravaged by Israeli air raids.
The White House announced that Mr. Netanyahu will be journeying to Washington next week. He has been scheduled to deliver a speech to a joint session of the US Congress on Wednesday. If Joe Biden, the US president who’s recovering from a bout of Covid-19, has recovered by then, there are plans for Mr Netanyahu to meet him.