UK position on Israel and international law ‘unsustainable’ clams parliamentary committee
Foreign Secretary challenged over response to ICJ opinion on Israeli actions
The UK government’s position on alleged violations of international law by Israel is “no longer sustainable,” the Foreign Secretary has been told.
In a letter to Yvette Cooper, International Development Committee chair Sarah Champion called for the government to finally set out its assessment of the International Court of Justice’s Advisory Opinion on Israel’s actions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory – two years after its publication by the ICJ.
Published on 19 July 2024, the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion held that Israel’s continued presence in the Occupied Palestinian Territory is unlawful.
Since then, the Government has acknowledged violations of international law and recently announced sanctions targeting individuals and entities involved in financing and enabling settler violence in the occupied West Bank.
It has also condemned the E1 settlement scheme, which is being backed by the Israeli Government and will lead to the displacement of thousands of Palestinians.
But despite this, it has repeatedly declined to respond to the ICJ’s Advisory Opinion, which suggests that Israel’s actions may amount to forcible transfer.
The Committee’s letter stated: “The credibility of the United Kingdom’s commitment to international law depends not on its willingness to recognise violations, but on its willingness to respond to them.
“As settlement expansion accelerates, as projects such as E1 move closer to implementation and as Palestinians continue to be displaced from their homes, the Government must demonstrate that its commitment to a rules-based international order extends beyond rhetoric.
It asks: “If the Government now accepts that settlement expansion and associated displacement are illegal and incompatible with a viable two-state solution, what further measures is it prepared to take against those responsible for designing, authorising and implementing those policies should they continue?”
According to the World Health Organisation, nearly 73,000 people have been killed in Gaza, with almost 175,000 more injured. IDC has also received information indicating that healthcare workers in Gaza are being killed at a rate three times higher than civilians, with approximately 75 healthcare workers killed per 100,000 people.
The letter goes on to set out a series of further asks for the Foreign Secretary on settlement expansion and the UK’s response.
“The UK has repeatedly demonstrated, in other conflicts, its commitment to prioritising civilian protection, supporting accountability and responding to violations. The Government must explain why its approach in this conflict appears inconsistent with those principles,” continues the letter.
“There is no justification for failing to use the full range of diplomatic, political and legal tools available to protect civilians and uphold international law in Gaza.”
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