Israel’s war on Gaza live: ICJ finds Israel in breach of international law
- The International Court of Justice (ICJ) says Israel’s settlement policies and exploitation of natural resources in the Palestinian territory are in breach of international law.
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Britain’s foreign minister, David Lammy, tells parliament he is reassured that the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) had taken steps to “ensure it meets the highest standards of neutrality”. He confirms the UK will resume its funding to UNRWA and will provide 21 million pounds ($27m).
BDS movement calls for ‘maximum pressure’ after ICJ ruling
The nonviolent Palestinian-led movement Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) has called for “maximum pressure on all states to impose immediate targeted sanctions on Israel,” after the ICJ issued a ruling saying Israel’s settlement policies and exploitation of natural resources in the Palestinian territory were in breach of international law.
The movement, which attempts to use economic and cultural boycotts against Israel to achieve political change, had already gained momentum amid worldwide protest against the war in Gaza.
Israeli settlers storm West Bank town despite ICJ ruling
Israeli settlers have attacked Palestinians and their property in the town of Huwara, in the north of the occupied West Bank, just as the ICJ issued a ruling saying the state of Israel is under obligation to cease immediately all new settlement activities and to evacuate all settlers from occupied Palestinian territory.
Al Jazeera Arabic reported that confrontations broke out after settlers attacked Palestinians to prevent them from reopening a bakery that was shut down by the Israeli military in October.
The Palestinian news agency Wafa also reported that a journalist was injured during clashes in the town of Beita, south of Nablus, while several citizens suffered from suffocation due to tear gas inhalation.
Wafa correspondents said the Israeli army used live bullets and tear gas canisters to respond to a weekly protest march held by Palestinian residents.
ICJ ruling to heap pressure on US, UK: International law expert
Speaking to Al Jazeera, William Schabas, an expert in international law, has called the ICJ’s ruling a “game changer in a legal sense” that will have “dramatic effects” felt by Israel and its allies, the US and UK.
“This is an extremely strong ruling. It includes Western judges, judges from the United States, judges from Germany, judges from Australia,” Schabas said.
“[The US and UK] love lecturing other countries about – one of their favourite phrases is the ‘rules based international legal order’ … Now the International Court of Justice, by an extremely compelling majority, has said what the rules are, and they’re going to have to start respecting them,” he said.
“[The advisory ruling] is not just directed against Israel. It’s directed against Israel’s friends, and it’s telling them that they cannot contribute in any way to the settlement policy, to the continued acts of violence and persecution in the occupied territories,” he said.
Hamas calls for ‘immediate action’ against Israel occupation after ICJ ruling
Hamas has called for “immediate” international action following the court’s ruling.
It said it puts “the international system before the imperative of immediate action to end the occupation”.
UN chief says Houthis’ drone attack on Tel Aviv poses risk of escalation
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has condemned a drone strike on Tel Aviv claimed by Yemen’s Houthis, expressing concern over a possible further escalation.
“The Secretary-General remains deeply concerned about the risk such dangerous acts pose for further escalation in the region,” spokesperson Farhan Haq said, calling for “maximum restraint”.
Yemen’s Houthi rebels claim they used an undetectable drone to strike a building near the US embassy’s office in Tel Aviv early today.
How significant are the Houthi drone strikes in Tel Aviv?
Despite being just 80km (50 miles) from Gaza, Tel Aviv has been almost untouched by the carnage unfolding within the enclave since October.
The drone strike within Tel Aviv, the centre for much of Israel’s diplomatic functions, points to the growing reach of the Houthi arsenal, say analysts.
“Notably, this is the first publicly confirmed Houthi strike in the Mediterranean rather than the Red Sea or Gulf of Aden.”
Why did the UK lift its suspension of funding for UNRWA?
Along with the US, the UK was the only remaining country to refuse lifesaving funds to the UN’s agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA) amid the carnage and starvation in Gaza.
The new British government says its decision today to resume funding 21 million pounds ($27m) is in light of the “devastating humanitarian crisis” in the besieged enclave.
Foreign Minister David Lammy renewed the UK’s call for immediate ceasefire today, but avoided discussing the UK’s ongoing arming and funding of Israel amid the war that has killed at least 38,848 people.
ICJ’s ‘historic judgement’ will ramp up pressure on the West: Legal expert
It is important to make a distinction between theoretical issues and the practical implementation on the ground when it comes to the ICJ opinion, UK-based lawyer Micheal Mansfield told Al Jazeera.
“From the theoretical perspective, which is extremely important, this is a historic judgement,” he said. ”
But at the same time, those of us who have practice in this field will realise that this determination has been made many times before. It has been accepted by the international jurists’ community, and the judicial community, that this occupation has been unlawful all the way along.”
Mansfield said Israel has ignored past rulings, but international law gives Palestinians the right to self-determination and resistance against occupation.
The expert believes the US will most likely ignore the legal opinion, but the situation will be different in Europe, particularly in the UK, where there has been “a massive change” as the Labour party won the general election with a landslide – with many politicians campaigning on adopting a stronger stance on Palestinian issues.
“The new prime minister should address this. There will be pressure on him from those of us in the United Kingdom that believe Israel has for too long been ignoring all the rulings of international bodies and courts – as it will be again,” Mansfield said.
“It is a legal obligation of the states not to reinforce the occupation and not to contribute to occupation in any shape or form,” he said, adding that this obligates the UK to stop arming and funding Israel.
