RAMALLAH, July 9, 2013 (WAFA) – Nine years later, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) Advisory Opinion that deemed Israel's apartheid wall illegal and called for its removal has yet to be implemented, said the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) on Tuesday.
According to the July 9, 2004 ICJ ruling, 'Israel is
under an obligation to terminate its breaches of international law,' and
'to cease forthwith the works of construction of the wall being built in
the Occupied Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem, to
dismantle forthwith the structure therein situated…'
It further affirms that Israel must 'make reparation
for all damage caused by the construction of the wall in the Occupied
Palestinian Territory, including in and around East Jerusalem.'
Hanan Ashrawi, member of the PLO Executive Committee, said that “pursuing Israel in the international judicial arena is long overdue, and it is high time that Israel is held accountable for its flagrant violations of international law and the human rights of the Palestinian people.”
According to the PLO statement on the ICJ opinion anniversary,
“Israel and members of the international community, including the United
Nations General Assembly and Security Council, respectively, have the
responsibility of ensuring compliance.”
It said that “Israel has failed to commit or to adhere to any of its obligations as outlined in the ICJ Advisory Opinion.”
The PLO condemned the construction of the wall on Palestinian land and said “Israel's apartheid wall which separates Palestinians from Palestinians and occupied East Jerusalem from the rest of Palestine constitutes an immoral assault and a humanitarian tragedy that has inflicted great pain and suffering on the Palestinian people.”
It quoted the United Nations Office for the Coordination of
Humanitarian Affairs 2012 report as saying that “the agricultural livelihoods
of approximately 150 communities have been severely undermined” and
Palestinians are forced to “obtain visitors permits or perform prior
coordination” to access their areas.
“It is therefore incumbent upon the United Nations and all its members to take immediate action, to rectify Israeli's ongoing breach of international and humanitarian law and to end Israeli impunity once and for all,” said the PLO.
“As stated in the ICJ Advisory Opinion,” said the PLO, “all States parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War of 12 August 1949 have in addition the obligation, while respecting the United Nations Charter and international law, to ensure compliance by Israel with international humanitarian law as embodied in that Convention.”
It called for an immediate international action “to uphold the integrity of the global rule of law and to bring Israeli violations and the occupation of Palestine to an immediate end.”
M.S.
