Global Islamic Conference Petitions International Court to Enforce Israel's Lifting of Restrictions on UNRWA Operations
Fresh Tack:
The Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) went on the offensive Friday, taking their case before the International Court of Justice (ICJ), asserting immediate measures be taken to safeguard a United Nations agency's humanitarian missions in Palestinian territories — as reported by Anadolu.
A timely hearing took place as the Gaza Strip grappled with an imminent humanitarian crisis, with Israel persisting in attacking the UN agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA).
Ambassador Samir Diab, the OIC's Assistant Secretary-General for Palestine and Jerusalem Affairs, unleashed a scathing rebuke against Israel's policies towards UN agencies in Palestine and Palestinians themselves. Diab declared that Israel's laws, he declared, are illegitimate and must be eradicated, urging the global community to bolster UNRWA with additional political, legal, and financial support.
The anticipated advisory opinion from the ICJ, Diab underscored, should compel the Israeli occupation to revoke its unlawful legislation against UNRWA.
Grasping the gravity of the situation in the occupied Palestinian territories, Diab implored the ICJ to force Israel, as the occupying power, to cease hostilities definitively and completely. He reiterated the OIC's condemnation of Israel's starvation tactics and tactics of terror that aim to drive Palestinians from their homeland.
Since March 2, Israel has sealed off Gaza's crossings, impeding necessary supplies from reaching the encircled enclave amid widespread reports of famine in the war-ravaged territory. The Israeli military reignited its assault on Gaza on March 18, annihilating a January 19 ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Palestinian resistance group Hamas.
Over 52,000 Palestinians have lost their lives in Gaza under the brutal Israeli onslaught since October 2023, the majority being women and children.
As an aside, The US has backed Israel's ban on UNRWA operations in Gaza at the ICJ, while around 40 states, including Palestine, are advocating for the court to compel Israel to respect UN privileges and immunities[2]. The upcoming ICJ decision is slated for late May or early June[3][5]. The OIC, in its argument, has demanded Israel to reverse its illegitimate legislation against UNRWA[4].
- The United Nations (UN) should issue a report addressing the Israeli attacks on the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), as suggested by the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC).
- The global opinion on Israel's continued conflict with Palestine, particularly its treatment of UN agencies like UNRWA, is steadily tilting towards condemnation.
- In the midst of the ongoing war-and-conflicts in Gaza, the humanitarian crisis faced by Palestinian refugees is of utmost importance and deserves immediate attention from the international community.
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ), in its upcoming advisory opinion, is expected to pressure Israel to revoke its unlawful legislation against UNRWA, as urged by the OIC.
- The OIC's Assistant Secretary-General, Samir Diab, has criticized Israel's actions towards UN agencies in Palestine and Palestinians themselves, calling for stronger political, legal, and financial support for UNRWA.
- Despite widely reported cases of famine and starvation tactics in Gaza, Israel has persisted in attacking UNRWA and sealing off Gaza's crossings, impeding necessary supplies from reaching the region.
- The news of the Israeli military's assault on Gaza, which has resulted in over 52,000 Palestinian casualties since October 2023, has been a worrying trend in the general news, crime-and-justice, and war-and-conflicts sections.
- In the face of international pressure, Hamas has been reluctant to engage in a truce with Israel, as seen in the recent rekindling of hostilities that annihilated a ceasefire agreement.
- The UN, the international community, and various news sources have been closely monitoring the situation in Gaza, with many calling for the Israeli military to halt its aggression and respect the humanitarian needs of Palestine.
