Egypt to submit oral argument at ICJ on Israeli violations in Palestinian territories Wednesday

Ahram Online , Sunday 18 Feb 2024

Egypt is set to deliver an oral argument before the International Court of Justice on Wednesday on Israeli policies and practices in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, the country's State Information Services (SIS) said in a statement on Sunday.

Diaa Rashwan
Diaa Rashwan. File photo

 

The oral argument is part of an advisory legal opinion requested by the UN General Assembly (UNGA) in December 2022 from the ICJ regarding the Israeli policies and practices in the Palestinian-occupied territories that violate international law.

A total of 52 countries are expected to give evidence on the legal consequences of Israel's 75-year-long occupation of Palestinian territories, annexation, including measures aimed at altering the demographic composition and character of the Holy City of Jerusalem, and its adoption of discriminatory legislation and measures in this regard.

The UN's top court will begin hearings on Monday.

Egypt has already submitted two written memoranda to the court concerning such violations, SIS chief, Dia Rashwan pointed out.

The SIS chief said the memorandums will underline the illegality of the Israeli occupation.

They will also highlight the Israeli policies that involve annexing lands, demolishing homes, expelling, deporting and displacing Palestinians, in violation of the right to self-determination of Palestinians and the prohibition of the seizure of lands by armed force, according to the statement.

The memorandums will voice Egypt’s rejection of the Israeli policies of persecution and racial discrimination, which blatantly contravene the principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, he added.

Egypt’s oral argument will call on the UN court to confirm Israel’s responsibility for all the aforementioned illegal acts, urging for the immediate withdrawal of its forces from the occupied Palestinian territories, including the city of Jerusalem.

Egypt will also call for compensating the Palestinians for the damages incurred as a result of these policies and practices.

The memorandums and oral argument will call on the international community not to recognize the legality of Israeli measures and to stop providing support to Israel, and for international organizations and the UN to assume their responsibilities in this regard, according to Rashwan.

The oral argument, Rashwan noted, will affirm the jurisdiction of the ICJ to hear the advisory opinion as per the UN’s Charter, especially since the hearings will address the legal dimensions of the illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.

The ICJ’s hearing comes amid mounting international legal pressure on Israel over its war on Gaza, where it has killed and injured over 100,000 Palestinians.

The new hearing came a few weeks after a high-profile case brought by South Africa before the ICJ accusing Israel of committing genocidal acts during the current Gaza offensive.

In late January, the ICJ ruled in that case that Israel must do everything in its power to prevent genocide and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza, but stopped short of ordering a ceasefire.

On Friday, the court also rejected South Africa's bid to impose additional measures on Israel but reiterated the need to carry out the ruling in full.

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