Update on Israel – Gaza
For over 50 years, Israel has been supporting its settlements and military control of West Bank and Gaza. The people of Israel as it stands today will have quite something to say about this occupation and have concern over regional security. Surely, the occupation was not intended to be lasting. But Israel has determination to ensure security for its people. It’s an aweful situation for all sides and a concern to the world.
From recent Israel broadcasts including from ministers, there is a desire to potentially acquire land in Gaza for settlement but surely the concerns of the wider states need to be heard, as with the people of Gaza who’s land is being stripped. One concern is the acquisition of territory by or with the threat of force. This is classic colonialism which the rest of the modern world is struggling to understand. The second being palestinian peoples right to self determination. How is this to be effected? And inability of Palestinian refugees to return to their rightful place of residence is something no one outside of the region truly understands. Perhaps we don’t understand the thinking going on here.
Hoping the current international court of justice will see through this. I am hopeful for the people of Israel and Palestine for a workable solution that bypasses the military-political attitudes of the day.
Unfortunately the ICJ rulings are non-binding but more advisory on how things should be approached. But there are half the countries in the world attending the current hearings, which is unprecedented. There are no two parties, only the court and all states who are able to provide oral or written submissions on the matter at hand.
International law is made by the practices of these states and the common interpretation of the law.
Israel has not set any timeline on when the occupation will end. It has the pretext that it desires to continue control of the palestinian people. The rulings of the court are intended to be effected after the ruling, back for instance to the Security Council or the UN in general. Historically the ICJ cases have served to provide guidance on what International Law is.
This can create mobilisation on the ground and a step towards ending the colonial regime in occupied Palestine.
But right now, the Israel military-political government have stated to the people of Rafah, you have until the end of Ramadan (mid March) to release all the captives or we will strike Rafah as like all the other regions of Gaza. That is, accusing the ordinary people of Gaza, to be terrorists, one and all.
The Palestinian people are not ‘asking for a favour.’
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