In a significant development, Egypt is slated to deliver an oral argument at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Wednesday, addressing Israeli policies and practices in the Palestinian territories occupied since 1967, as announced by the country’s State Information Services (SIS) on Sunday.
The oral argument is a crucial component of the advisory opinion sought by the United Nations from the ICJ concerning Israeli actions in the occupied Palestinian territories that are deemed in violation of international law.
According to a statement from SIS, a total of 52 nations will provide evidence during the ICJ hearings on the legal consequences of Israel’s 75-year-long occupation of Palestinian territories, following a UN request to the ICJ in December 2022. The proceedings are set to commence on Monday.
Dia Rashwan, the Chief of SIS, highlighted that Egypt has already submitted two written memoranda to the court outlining the illegality of Israeli occupation and underscoring policies such as land annexation, home demolitions, and the expulsion and displacement of Palestinians.
The memorandums emphasize Egypt’s rejection of Israeli practices involving persecution and racial discrimination, which blatantly violate the principles of international humanitarian law and international human rights law.
During the oral argument, Egypt will urge the UN court to confirm Israel’s responsibility for the aforementioned illegal acts and call for the immediate withdrawal of Israeli forces from the occupied Palestinian territories, including Jerusalem. Additionally, Egypt will advocate for compensation to be provided to Palestinians for damages resulting from these policies and practices.
The memorandums and oral argument will also call on the international community to refrain from recognizing the legality of Israeli measures, cease providing support to Israel, and implore international organizations and the UN to fulfill their responsibilities in this regard, Rashwan stated.
Rashwan noted that the oral argument will assert the ICJ’s jurisdiction to hear the advisory opinion, citing the UN’s Charter, particularly addressing the legal dimensions of illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories.
