In a statement distributed by the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, UN special rapporteurs urged the world to reconsider all relations with Israel.
On July 19, the International Court of Justice issued an advisory opinion on the legal consequences of the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories. The court concluded that Israeli settlement activities violate international law and constitute annexation of the land. The document called on Israel to cease new settlement activities in Palestinian territories, end its illegal presence, and pay compensation for damages caused by the illegal occupation.
The statement emphasized that as the UN Security Council and General Assembly consider strategies to ensure a swift end to the illegal occupation, countries should immediately review all diplomatic, political, and economic relations with Israel. This includes trade, financial ties, pension funds, scientific exchanges, and charitable organizations.
UN experts called for an arms embargo and a halt to any trade that could harm Palestinians, as well as targeted sanctions, including asset freezes, against Israeli individuals and entities involved in the illegal occupation and apartheid policies.
The statement also highlighted that after the July 19 judicial decision, Israel intensified its attacks on civilians in Gaza and its natural resources. It urged Israel to implement the advisory opinion and other ICJ rulings issued this year, stressing that Israel should not act as if it is above the law.
Earlier this year, the European Union, the United States, and Japan began imposing sanctions on settlers in the occupied West Bank as punishment for persecuting local Palestinian populations. The Biden administration has reviewed the policies of former President Donald Trump, who had stopped criticizing Israeli settlement activities and refused to consider them a violation of international law.
