UN Independent Rights Experts Urge States to Comply with ICJ Ruling on Israel

Strategic Insights -

In a statement issued on Tuesday, 38 UN independent human rights experts called on UN Member States to immediately comply with the International Court of Justice's (ICJ) recent ruling that Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, is unlawful. The ICJ's advisory opinion, issued on 19 July, reaffirmed peremptory norms prohibiting annexation, settlements, racial segregation, and apartheid. The experts argued that the ruling should be seen as declaratory in nature and binding on Israel and all States supporting the occupation. They also welcomed the Court's recognition that converting occupation into annexation by demolishing homes, denying housing permits, and land grabs violates preemptory norms prohibiting the use of force to annex occupied territory.

Key Takeaways:

  • The ICJ's advisory opinion declared Israel's occupation of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, as unlawful.
  • The opinion reaffirmed peremptory norms prohibiting annexation, settlements, racial segregation, and apartheid, and should be seen as declaratory in nature and binding on Israel and all States supporting the occupation.
  • The experts noted that the Court refuted the notion that Palestinian self-determination must be achieved solely through bilateral negotiations with Israel, which has subjected Palestinians to violence, dispossession, and rights violations for 30 years.
  • The experts called for action, including an arms embargo and targeted sanctions, as well as investigations and prosecutions against those involved in crimes in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  • They also urged States to review all diplomatic, political, and economic ties with Israel, inclusive of business and finance, pension funds, academia, and charities.
  • The experts emphasized that the ICJ's findings should be widely disseminated to ensure that the illegality of Israel's presence in the occupied territory is fully understood at all levels of government and education systems.

Statistics:

  • 38: The number of UN independent human rights experts who signed the statement calling on UN Member States to comply with the ICJ ruling.
  • 19 July: The date on which the ICJ issued its advisory opinion on Israel's presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
  • 30 years: The duration for which Palestinians have been subjected to violence, dispossession, and rights violations due to the requirement that Palestinian self-determination be achieved solely through bilateral negotiations with Israel.
  • 20 years: The time since another ICJ advisory opinion on the illegality of Israel's construction of a wall in the Occupied Palestinian Territory was issued.

Sources:

  • M2 PressWIRE - "Independent rights experts urge States to comply with ICJ ruling on Israel" (July 31, 2024)