RAMALLAH, MAR 1: The State of Palestine Friday submitted a written plea to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding the request for an advisory opinion on the obligations of Israel, as the occupying power, in relation to the presence and activities of the UN, other international organizations, and third states in and in relation to the occupied Palestinian territories.
The State of Palestine submitted the written plea to the ICJ for issuance of an advisory opinion by the Court in realization of UN General Assembly Resolution A/RES/79/232 of 19 December 2024.
The State of Palestine affirmed the responsibility of Israel, as the illegitimate occupying power, to respect the fundamental inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their right to self-determination, right to return, and basic human rights as guaranteed by international treaties and conventions, including the UN Charter, the Geneva Conventions, and their Additional Protocols.
It stressed that Israel, as the illegitimate occupying power, has the obligation to not obstruct the work of the UN, international organizations, and third states in the occupied territories, so that they would provide essential services, humanitarian aid, and development assistance to the Palestinian people and enable them to exercise their right to self-determination.
In its plea, Palestine highlighted that Israel’s systematic and widespread violations of the Palestinian people’s rights as well as its obstruction of the efforts of UN agencies and specialized bodies in the occupied territories violate the obligations of Israel under international humanitarian law and human rights law.
Palestine added that such violations also violate the terms of Israel’s UN membership, which include adherence to UN Resolutions 181 and 194.
The written plea also underscored the critical role of the United Nations Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) to Palestinians and highlighted Israel’s ongoing assaults on the agency and its staff. The latest of such assaults was the illegal Israeli law banning the agency from operating in the occupied territories and preventing it from delivering essential services to Palestinian refugees.
The State of Palestine called for bringing an end to the illegitimate occupation of Palestinian territories, and obliging the occupying power to comply without delay with all of its legal obligations toward the Palestinian people. It also demanded that the UN, international organizations, and third states be enabled to carry out their relief and development activities in the occupied territories.
The State of Palestine pledged to continue defending the inalienable rights of the Palestinian people, including their rights to self-determination, right to return, and independence. It also pledged to proceed with its quest to hold Israel accountable for its crimes against the Palestinian people.
The State of Palestine also emphasized the vital role of the ICJ and other international institutions in maintaining the international legal order, particularly during this time of unprecedented onslaught on multilateral international institutions. It pledged to continue working with like-minded states to protect and reinforce the role of international legal bodies during this time characterized by unprecedented global threats against rule of law-based international order.
Many states, including Arab and Islamic states, as well as international groups, such as the League of Arab States, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation, and the African Union, have submitted their written pleas to the ICJ within the designated timeframe. The ICJ is scheduled to begin oral proceedings on April 28, 2025.
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