The Palestinian envoy says that legal aid is used as a “weapon of war” while the Israeli Minister of Foreign Affairs condemns the “delegitimation” of his country.
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) opened hearings to assess Israel’s responsibility for the humanitarian crisis engulfing Gaza during his war against Hamas.
The hearings, which started on Monday in The Hague and will appear throughout the week, follow a request last year at the United Nations General Assembly to ask the court to assess the responsibility of Israel to provide the provision of essential supplies in Gaza.
Since the start of the war 18 months ago, Israel has blocked help, leaving the Palestinians faced with serious shortages of food, water, fuel and medication.
Over the next five days, 38 countries – including the United States, China, France, Russia and Saudi Arabia – are addressed to the panel of 15 judges to examine how Israel’s actions are in accordance with international law.
The Arab States League, an organization of Islamic cooperation and the African Union, will also present its arguments on Israel’s obligations to ensure that Aid reached Gaza.
‘Weapon of war’
The senior Palestinian official Ammar Hijazi told the judges that Israel blocked use of use as a “weapon of war”.
No medical supply or supply has reached 2.3 million residents of the Gaza Strip since March 2, when Israel imposed what has become its longest blocking in the territory. It was followed two weeks later by the collapse of a two-month-old ceasefire.
“These are the facts. Famine is here. Humanitarian aid is used as a weapon of war,” said Hijazi.
The CIJ was responsible by the UN to provide an advisory opinion “in priority and with the greatest emergency”.
Although no immediate decision is expected, the advisory opinion of the court will probably shape future international legal approaches.
However, it is not binding, which means that its impact depends on the fact that states choose to apply or ignore it.
The decision “will probably be ignored by Israel, as she did with other CIJ judgments, the International Criminal Court and other international legal organizations,” said Rory Chalands of Tel Aviv Tribune, reporting on The Hague.
However, he added that “the pressure wave rises” on Israel because a growing list of international courts has ruled against its actions.
What the UN says, noted the barges, is that “Israel has essentially a double obligation here under international law.
“He also has an obligation as a signatory of the Charter of the United Nations, because under this, the UN has immunities and exemptions which distinguish him from other institutions and other multilateral organizations,” continued the barges.
“Systematic persecution”
The CIJ will examine the positions of state actors and international organizations in its deliberations.
However, it will not directly hear Israeli representatives. Tel Aviv rather submitted written advice and objections.
The Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar responded to the opening of hearings by marking them “part of a systematic persecution and a delegitimation of Israel” in comments to journalists in Jerusalem.
“It is not Israel that should be judged. It is the UN and UNRWA,” he insisted, referring to the United Nations Agency for Palestinian refugees, that Israel prevents providing assistance to Gaza.