The second day of the hearing of the Israeli occupation at the Hague Tribunal

According to the international group Tasnim news agency, the second hearing on Israel’s occupation of the occupied Palestinian lands in The International Court of Justice in The Hague began with the discussions of the representative of South Africa on Tuesday.

“Vusimozi Madonsela”, the ambassador of South Africa in the Netherlands, attended the meeting as the representative of Johannesburg and said: “Israeli occupation is more than It has been going on for 50 years for the Palestinian people. Therefore, we have to question how long Israel’s decades-long immunity for widespread and systematic violations of international law will continue?” He continued: “In the past days, the world has witnessed with horror the relentless attacks on Gaza. . The intensity of violence in Israel’s recent military operations against Gaza and its violations of international laws is the clearest sign that Israel does not see an obstacle for itself against the Palestinians.”

Madonsela also added that South Africa’s apartheid in the Palestinian territories is even worse than it was a year ago. 1994 in South Africa was worse. He said: “As South Africans, we understand, hear and feel the inhumane discriminatory policies and practices of the Israeli regime as a more severe form of apartheid institutionalized against black people in my country.”

He continued. “It is clear that Israel’s illegal occupation is also governed by the crime of apartheid… it is indistinguishable from settler colonialism,” Dodd said. Israel’s apartheid must end.”

6-day hearings at the Hague-based International Court of Justice will last until February 26. Representatives of more than 50 countries and international organizations are expected to present their opinions in these meetings. Discussions will start with the presentation of a lawsuit by the Palestinian state on Monday.

Although these meetings are held during the Gaza war, they have nothing to do with it. These meetings are the result of a resolution that was approved by the United Nations Security Council on December 30, 2022, and asked the Hague Court to announce its advisory opinion regarding the issue of Israel’s occupation. 15 judges of the International Court of Justice should Two questions should be answered: What are the legal consequences of the continuous violation of the Palestinians’ right to self-determination through the policies of occupation, settlement and annexation of Palestinian lands since 1967?

Another question that the International Court of Justice seeks to answer That is, how do Israel’s policies and policies affect the occupation situation and what are its legal consequences for all members of the United Nations?

The answers of the International Court of Justice to these questions will be non-binding, but contain wide symbolic meanings. will be and may influence policies towards their integration into international law.

The request to provide this advisory opinion was made after the publication of a report by the United Nations Human Rights Council in October 2022. In this report, it was stated that there are “substantial reasons” that Israel’s occupation of Palestinian lands can be considered illegal in terms of international law.

The report of the United Nations Human Rights Council also stated that land occupations during war are temporary and should not deprive the occupied power of its right to form an independent country.

Israel said that it is not within the jurisdiction of the court to deal with this issue. Israel’s Foreign Ministry has claimed that the UN Human Rights Council’s report is “biased, incomplete and incompetent” and stems from “hatred of Israel”.

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