Emmanuel Ukudolo I Tuesday, Feb. 20, 2024
HAGUE, Netherlands – Hearing continued for the second day at the International Court of Justice, ICJ with nations urging the court to end Israel’s occupation of Palestine, pay reparation, cede settlements to Palestine and release all Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
Among the nations making the call during the hearing on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestine are South Africa, Saudi Arabia, Algeria and Netherlands.
They described the prolonged 66 years of Israeli occupation of Palestine as the root cause of evil, and rejected Israel’s position that it is a temporary occupation.
Representative of the Dutch told the court that self-defence can be invoked under international law when attacked by non-state actors, stressing that territories cannot be legally acquired through the use of force.
In his presentation, Ziad al Atiya, the Ambassador of Saudi Arabia to Netherlands outlined atrocities of Israel in Palestine, viz-a-viz destruction of lives and properties, with over 29,000 already killed, over 69,000 others injured, displacement of Palestinians from their lands and deprivation of food and water.
He condemned Israel’s action in Israel, stressing that unless something is done, the occupation of more than 56 years would degenerate into more ugly incidents.
He pointed out that none out of those that have so far made presentations has defended actions of Israel in Palestine because the occupation is illegal and indefensible.
He noted that negotiations between Israel and Palestine are prejudiced and that Israel does not take negotiations with Palestine as something serious with settlements now over 700 in Palestine.
According to him, the Israelis have been annexing land, taking over natural resources and demolishing their buildings, adding that Israel’s actions are nothing less than impunity and contempt.
He alluded to all the peace initiatives by the Arab League that have been rejected because the resolutions required Israel to abandon settlements in Palestine for peace, stressing that the result today is terrible.
He said Israel has insisted severally that it will neither agree to a two state solution nor cede control of all annexed settlements.
He said it is such because Israel sees Palestinians as barely dispensable objects and urged the international community to intervene in the interest of international peace and security.
He noted that Israel’s actions in the occupied territories are legally indispensable and has engendered racial discrimination and tantamount to apartheid.
He said Israel has defied international obligation for global peace and that such defiance must have consequences. He described the occupation as illegal and must be brought to an unconditional end.
He told the ICJ that Israel must cease its actions, return to compliance and pledge not to repeat it. “International organisations must stop to render aid to Israel”, he said.
The Algerian Counsellor, Professor Ahmed Laraba said Israel has abused the concept of occupation and that Israel aims for a point of no return, stressing that occupation has been misused as right to power.
He told the ICJ that israel has a duty to put an end to the occupation, pay reparation and that countries must stop supporting Israel.
South African representatives, Professor Pieter Stemmet also spoke in a similar vein and that the case of Israel should not be treated differently from that of Namibia. He called on Israel to cede settlements to Palestine, pay reparation and release all Palestinian prisoners in Israel.
