(From R) South African Judge Dire Tladi, US Judge Sarah Cleveland, Brazilian Judge Leonardo Nemer Caldeira Brant, German Judge Georg Nolte, Idian Judge Dalveer Bhandari, Somali Judge Abdulqawi Yusuf, Slovak Judge Peter Tomka, Lebanese Judge and President of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Nawaf Salam, Ugandan Judge and
Vice-President of the International Court of Justice Julia Sebutinde, French Judge Ronny Abraham, Chinese Judge Xue Hanqin, Japanese Judge Yuji Iwasawa, Australian Judge Hilary Charlesworth, Mexican Judge Juan Manuel Gomez Robledo, Romanian Judge Bogdan Lucian Aurescu rise before delivering a non-binding ruling on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague on July 19, 2024. - The UN's top court handed down its view, on July 19, 2024, declaring "illegal" Israel's occupation of Palestinian territories since 1967, amid growing international pressure over the war in Gaza. (Photo by Nick Gammon / AFP)
THE HAGUE- Sinabi ng pinakamataas na korte ng United Nations nitong Biyernes na ilegal ang okupasyon ng Israel sa Palestinian territories at settlements at dapat nang wakasan sa lalong madaling panahon, sa pinakamalakas nitong findings sa Israel-Palestinian conflict.
Hindi “binding” ang advisory opinion ng mga hukom sa International Court of Justice (ICJ), kilala bilang World Court, subalit may bigat sa ilalim ng international law at maaaring magpahina ng suporta para sa Israel.
“Israeli settlements in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, and the regime associated with them, have been established and are being maintained in violation of international law,” pahayag ni President Nawaf Salam, binasa ang nakasaad sa findings ng 15-judge panel.
Kabilang sa obligasyon ng Israel, base sa korte, ang pagbabayad ng restitution para sa pinsala at “the evacuation of all settlers from existing settlements”.
Tinabla naman ng Israel’s foreign ministry ang opinyon at tinawag itong “fundamentally wrong” at “one-sided,” saka iginiit ang paninindigan nitong maaari lamang makamit ang political settlement sa rehiyon sa pamamagitan ng negosasyon.
“The Jewish nation cannot be an occupier in its own land,” pahayag ng opisina ni Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Ikinagalit din ng West Bank settlers ang opinyon maging ng politiko tulad ni Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich.
“The answer to The Hague – Sovereignty now” aniya sa isang post sa social media platform X.
Iginiit naman ni Israel Gantz, pinuno ng Binyamin Regional Council, sa isa pinakamalaking settler councils, na ang ICJ opinion ay “contrary to the Bible, morality and international law”.
Napag-alaman din sa ICJ opinion na ang U.N. Security Council, ang General Assembly at lahat ng estado ay walang obligasyong kilalanin ang okupasyon bilang legal o “render aid or assistance” sa pagpapanatili sa presensya ng Israel sa mga okupadong teritoryo.
“No aid. No assistance. No complicity. No money, no arms, no trade…no actions of any kind to support Israel’s illegal occupation,” wika ni Palestinian envoy Riyad al-Maliki sa labas ng korte sa The Hague.
Nag-ugat ang kaso sa 2022 request para sa legal opinion mula sa U.N. General Assembly, bago pa ang giyera sa Gaza na nagsimula noong Oktubre.
Sinakop ng Israel ang West Bank, Gaza Strip at East Jerusalem – mga lugar sa historic Palestine na nais ng Palestinians na gawing bansa – sa 1967 Middle East war at pinagtayuan ng settlements sa West Bank at pinalawak ito. RNT/SA
