Blinken says ceasefire talks near ‘goal line’
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has said that a ceasefire deal that would see the release of the remaining captives in Gaza is near the “goal line”.
Stalled talks between mediators, Hamas and Israel showed signs of new life earlier this month, after stalling for weeks, although their future has remained uncertain in recent days.
“I believe we’re inside the 10-yard line and driving toward the goal line,” Blinken said, referring to the final yards before scoring in American football. Still, he said the parties were finishing negotiations of “critical details” and that “last 10 yards are often the hardest”.
Blinken, speaking during an interview at the Aspen Security Forum in Colorado, was not asked about today’s ICJ ruling.
ICJ’s ‘historic judgement’ will ramp up pressure on the West: Legal expert
It is important to make a distinction between theoretical issues and the practical implementation on the ground when it comes to the ICJ opinion, UK-based lawyer Micheal Mansfield told Al Jazeera.
“From the theoretical perspective, which is extremely important, this is a historic judgement,” he said. ”
But at the same time, those of us who have practice in this field will realise that this determination has been made many times before. It has been accepted by the international jurists’ community, and the judicial community, that this occupation has been unlawful all the way along.”
Mansfield said Israel has ignored past rulings, but international law gives Palestinians the right to self-determination and resistance against occupation.
The expert believes the US will most likely ignore the legal opinion, but the situation will be different in Europe, particularly in the UK, where there has been “a massive change” as the Labour party won the general election with a landslide – with many politicians campaigning on adopting a stronger stance on Palestinian issues.
“The new prime minister should address this. There will be pressure on him from those of us in the United Kingdom that believe Israel has for too long been ignoring all the rulings of international bodies and courts – as it will be again,” Mansfield said.
“It is a legal obligation of the states not to reinforce the occupation and not to contribute to occupation in any shape or form,” he said, adding that this obligates the UK to stop arming and funding Israel.
ICJ ruling to heap pressure on US, UK: International law expert
Speaking to Al Jazeera, William Schabas, an expert in international law, has called the ICJ’s ruling a “game changer in a legal sense” that will have “dramatic effects” felt by Israel and its allies, the US and UK.
“This is an extremely strong ruling. It includes Western judges, judges from the United States, judges from Germany, judges from Australia,” Schabas said.
“[The US and UK] love lecturing other countries about – one of their favourite phrases is the ‘rules based international legal order’ … Now the International Court of Justice, by an extremely compelling majority, has said what the rules are, and they’re going to have to start respecting them,” he said.
“[The advisory ruling] is not just directed against Israel. It’s directed against Israel’s friends, and it’s telling them that they cannot contribute in any way to the settlement policy, to the continued acts of violence and persecution in the occupied territories,” he said.
