THE HAGUE, Netherlands: Saudi Arabia on Tuesday strongly condemned Israel’s ongoing military campaign in Gaza at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), with the Kingdom’s representative accusing Israel of defying international rulings and committing grave human rights violations.
Speaking before the court, the Kingdom’s representative, Mohamed Saud Alnasser, accused Israel of defying international rulings and committing severe human rights violations.
He added Israel “continues to ignore the court’s orders,” and said that “there is no justification for Israel’s violations in Gaza.”
Alnasser stated that “Israel has turned Gaza into a pile of rubble,” underlining the extensive devastation and suffering caused to civilians.
He made these remarks on the second day of the International Court of Justice (ICJ) hearings focused on Israel’s humanitarian responsibilities toward Palestinians.
The ICJ is hearing dozens of nations and organisations to draw up an advisory opinion on Israel’s humanitarian obligations to Palestinians, more than 50 days into its total blockage on aid entering war-ravaged Gaza.
A day earlier, a top Palestinian official told the ICJ that Israel was blocking humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza as a “weapon of war”.
Israel is not participating in the ICJ but hit back immediately, dismissing the hearings as “part of the systematic persecution and delegitimisation” of the country.
Israel has banned UNRWA from operating on Israeli soil, after accusing some of the agency’s staff of participating in the Hamas October 7, 2023 attack.
Independent investigations say it has not provided evidence for its headline allegation.
UNRWA Secretary-General Philippe Lazzarini urged Israel “as an occupying power” to “provide services or facilitate their delivery — including through UNRWA — to the population it is occupying”.
In December, the UN’s General Assembly asked the ICJ for an advisory opinion “on a priority basis and with the utmost urgency”.
The UN asked judges to clarify Israel’s legal duties towards the UN and its agencies, international organisations or third-party states to “ensure and facilitate the unhindered provision of urgently needed supplies essential to the survival of the Palestinian civilian population”.
Israel strictly controls all inflows of international aid vital for the 2.4 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip.
It halted aid deliveries to Gaza on March 2, days before the collapse of a ceasefire that had significantly reduced Israeli violence after 15 months of war.
