Overview of the situation - Crew illegitimate - UN Court tarnishes Israel's reputation
A legal opinion from the highest UN Court causes additional problems with unforeseeable consequences for the State of Israel, which is involved in military confrontations on multiple fronts, according to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague. The occupation of Palestinian territories is illegal and must be ended as soon as possible, the court stated.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres intends to immediately forward the opinion to the UN General Assembly, which will then decide on further action, a spokesperson for the secretary-general said in New York.
Israel captured the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem in the Six-Day War of 1967 and has since occupied them. Palestinians claim these territories for their own state, which is supposed to coexist with Israel and which most countries of the world, including Germany, have recognized up until today. In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza but continues to control the borders by land, water, and air.
Opinion: Israel should end occupation as soon as possible
"The continued presence of the State of Israel in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful," said Court President Nawaf Salam. "The State of Israel is obliged to end its unlawful presence in the occupied Palestinian territories as soon as possible," states a summary of the non-binding Legal Opinion, which the court released on Friday.
Furthermore, Israel is obligated to immediately stop new settlement activities in the Palestinian territories and to evacuate the approximately 700,000 settlers from these areas. States should not support any actions that contribute to the maintenance of the "illegal presence" of Israel in the occupied territories or that support settlement activities.
Netanyahu speaks of "mistake," Abbas of "victory of justice"
Israel reacted angrily to the opinion: Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu wrote on Twitter, "The Jewish people are not occupiers in their own land. No mistaken decision in The Hague will change the historical truth or the legitimacy of Israeli settlements on the entire territory of our homeland."
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas welcomed the opinion. This is "a triumph of justice, a confirmation that the Israeli occupation is illegal," Abbas said. He called on the international community to "compel Israel to end its occupation and its colonial project completely and immediately, without conditions or exceptions." The presidency in Ramallah confirmed this. The Islamic Hamas in the Gaza Strip praised the document, which "exposes the fascist system of settlement building."
The opinion refers to the fact that Israel has effectively annexed further territories through settlement building and various administrative measures. It also deals with the discriminatory and degrading consequences of the occupation for the Palestinian population. Settler violence against Palestinian citizens is not pursued or punished by Israel. Palestinians are forced to leave land they farm. In addition, access to water is denied to them.
In the numerous restrictions of the civil and political rights of Palestinians in the occupied territories, in their unequal treatment compared to Jewish settlers, the document identifies violations of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination.
The opinion could have high impact.
Although legally non-binding, the international legal opinion may have significant impact. As it is expected that international pressure on Israel to stop attacks in the Gaza Strip will continue to grow. The opinion could also fuel the Palestinian protest movement worldwide.
The non-binding legal opinions of the ICC are considered "extremely authoritative representations of international law," according to Eliav Leibich, a law professor at Tel Aviv University, speaking to the US cable news network CNN. Civil organizations could potentially bring the matter before national courts and demand that they ban the export of weapons that could be used in the occupied territories.
Drone attack out of nowhere
There is alarm in Israel over a combat drone launched by Huthi militias in Yemen that managed to reach the coastal metropolis of Tel Aviv undetected. The explosive projectile detonated near the densely populated Mediterranean coastline in the early hours of Friday morning, killing a 50-year-old man in his apartment and injuring ten others, according to rescue services. The Huthi militia in Yemen claimed responsibility for the attack.
The projectile struck near the Tel Aviv branch of the US embassy. The US embassy has been located in Jerusalem since 2018. The Israeli military believes the Tel Aviv embassy building was not intentionally targeted but was rather collaterally hit.
Army spokesperson Daniel Hagari stated that the flying weapon was an Iranian-made Samad-3 drone that had been modified for long-range flights. According to Israeli estimates, it flew approximately 2000 kilometers, crossed the Sinai Peninsula from the Red Sea, and turned towards Tel Aviv over the Mediterranean Sea.
Residents of the city heard a loud explosion around 3:00 AM local time, followed by sirens of emergency vehicles. The usual air raid siren was not activated. The army attributed the incident to human error. Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan reportedly called on the UN Security Council to condemn the Huthi attack and take action before the situation in the region escalates further.
The Iran-backed and armed Huthi have been targeting maritime traffic in the Red Sea since the outbreak of the Gaza War in late October. They have also occasionally fired rockets into southern Israel, which have so far been intercepted or landed in open areas.
Exchange of fire in the north
The Shia militia Hezbollah intensified its shelling of areas in northern Israel. The army identified 65 projectiles that penetrated Israeli territory from Lebanon through its Telegram channel. Some of the projectiles were intercepted by the Israeli air defense, while the rest landed in uninhabited areas. No casualties were reported. The army retaliated by targeting Hezbollah launchers and weapons caches in southern Lebanon.
Hezbollah confirmed its attacks and described them as retaliation for Israeli bombardments the previous day, which resulted in the deaths of two high-ranking fighters - a Hezbollah member and a Palestinian Hamas operative active in Lebanon, who are reportedly aligned with Hezbollah.
Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah militia have been engaging in nearly daily battles since the beginning of the Gaza War. There have been casualties on both sides. The Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to their own statements, acts out of solidarity with Hamas, which is also active in Lebanon. It has long been feared that the conflict could spread regionally.
- Despite facing military conflicts on various fronts, Israel is facing additional challenges due to a legal opinion from the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in The Hague, declaring its occupation of Palestinian territories as illegal.
- The United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres plans to forward this legal opinion to the UN General Assembly in New York, which will then decide on the next course of action.
- Israel captured the West Bank, Gaza Strip, and East Jerusalem during the Six-Day War of 1967 and has since occupied these territories.
- Palestinians claim these territories for their own state, which is intended to coexist peacefully with Israel, recognized by most countries worldwide, including Germany.
- In 2005, Israel withdrew from Gaza but continues to control its borders through land, water, and air.
- The ICJ released a non-binding legal opinion, stating that Israel's continued presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is unlawful and condemning its settlement activities.
- According to the opinion, Israel is required to immediately halt new settlement activities and evacuate approximately 700,000 settlers from the Palestinian territories.
- Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reacted angrily to the opinion, calling it a mistake and defending the legitimacy of Israeli settlements.
- Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, however, welcomed the opinion as a victory of justice and urged the international community to compel Israel to end its occupation.
- The opinion highlights the discriminatory treatment of Palestinians compared to Jewish settlers in the occupied territories, which violates international human rights and racial discrimination conventions.
- In addition to potential international pressure on Israel, this legal opinion may also fuel Palestinian protests worldwide and provide civil organizations with a basis to bring the matter before national courts.
- Amidst these conflicts, tensions have also risen in the Gaza Strip and Lebanon, with militant groups firing rockets into Israeli territory.
