In Gaza, the ICJ hearing is seen as a ‘strategic chance’ to pressure Israel
The systematic Israeli escalation that is still taking place in Gaza has led to severe repercussions in different aspects of life.
One of these repercussions that we have seen getting much more grave on the ground is the decision to cease cooperation with UNRWA (the UN agency for Palestinian refugees) here.
UNRWA has been seen by Palestinians in Gaza as not just an aid organisation operating in the territory but a very fundamental lifeline that provides different services in multiple aspects, including education, healthcare, and emergency food services for millions….
For many Palestinians here, they see the hearings at the ICJ today as a very good opportunity and a clear strategic chance to pressure Israel to protect and ensure the legal protection of the UN agencies in Gaza.
To enable the world to better understand that UN agencies have been operating to alleviate the crisis and to challenge the actions that Israel has adopted.
Israel’s foreign minister blasts ICJ hearing on Gaza
The Israeli foreign minister says the top UN court’s hearing on humanitarian aid to Gaza was part of a “systematic persecution and delegitimisation” of his country.
In a live briefing, Gideon Saar said the court was “becoming completely politicised”. He called the proceedings being held in The Hague “shameful”.
The ICJ opened hearings into Israel’s obligation to “ensure and facilitate” urgently needed humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories, bringing the ongoing conflict in Gaza back into focus in The Hague. Israel has blocked the entry of aid, including food and medicines, since March 2. The UN food agency has warned of mass starvation in Gaza.
Israel won’t participate in oral proceedings at ICJ
We might not get a detailed look at what Israel’s defence is until some way down the line, because of its absence from the proceedings here in our coverage over the next five days or so.
We are not going to hear from an Israeli representative standing up in the court behind me and arguing Israel’s case. They have submitted written advice and objections, but they won’t be participating in the actual verbal proceedings here.
However, we do have some idea of what they might be saying, because in the UK last week, lawyers representing Israel said in a paper that it had a right to terminate the agreement with UNRWA and ban the agency’s activities on its sovereign territory, especially in wartime.
ICJ opinion, though non-binding, can still add to the pressure on Israel
What do we get at the end of all of this?
Well, what we will have is a non-binding advisory opinion from the ICJ that will likely be ignored by Israel, as it has done with other judgements from the ICJ, the International Criminal Court and other international legal bodies as well.
It may sound like a non-binding advisory opinion is fairly wishy-washy, but it will likely have an effect because it adds to this growing body of decisions in international courts that Israel is in contravention of various international obligations and laws, and that sets the tone.
It’s the context, the framework by which countries around the world deal with Israel, and the tide of pressure is mounting.
