Israel’s anti-Palestinian policies equal genocide, war crimes: Iran deputy FM
Iran’s Deputy Foreign Minister for Legal and International Affairs Kazem Gharibabadi said Israel’s policies against Palestinians amount to clear examples of genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.
Gharibabadi made the remarks during a hearing at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) into Israel’s obligation to “ensure and facilitate” humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories and particularly in Gaza. The Iranian official called on the international community to act responsibly in response to the ongoing atrocities committed by the Israeli regime against Palestinians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank. He pointed to the “undeniable evidences of genocide” in Gaza, saying that despite repeated ICJ orders, the regime continues its deadly policies, and that the international community has failed to live up to its moral and legal obligations in this regard.
He noted that since the beginning of Israel’s large-scale attacks on Gaza in October 2023, more than 52,000 Palestinians have been killed and more than 123,000 injured, with the numbers rising on a daily basis.
Gharibabadi also referred to the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza due to the Israel’s blockade on the Palestinian territory, saying that no humanitarian aid has been allowed to enter into the region since March 2. Citing UN reports, the Iranian official said, “Vital medicines are running out. Water and electricity networks have been destroyed, and aid workers have been targeted.”
He called Israel’s measures as clear examples of “genocide, war crimes, and crimes against humanity.”
The UN’s highest court has begun a week of hearings into Israel’s obligation to “ensure and facilitate” humanitarian assistance to Palestinian civilians in the occupied territories and particularly in Gaza.
The hearings come in response to a resolution passed last year by the UN General Assembly asking the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to weigh in on Israel’s legal responsibilities after the regime blocked UNRWA, the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, from operating on the occupied territories.