Amnesty International calls for ending the occupation of Palestine, stopping fueling apartheid regime

RAMALLAH: Israel must end its brutal occupation of Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, said Amnesty International, as public hearings begin at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to examine the legal consequences of Israel's prolonged occupation. The public hearings are taking place in the Hague from 19 to 26 February after the UN General Assembly adopted a resolution in December 2022 to request an advisory opinion from the ICJ on the legality of Israel's policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories and the consequences of Israel's conduct for other states and the UN. More than 50 states, the African Union, the Arab League and Organization of Islamic Cooperation are scheduled to participate in the proceedings. "The world must recognize that ending Israel's illegal occupation is a prerequisite to stopping the recurrent human rights violations in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories," said Agnès Callamard, Amnesty International's Secretary General. Callamard st ressed, 'Israel's occupation of Palestine is the longest and one of the most deadly military occupations in the world." Noting that "for decades it has been characterized by widespread and systematic human rights violations against Palestinians." Callamard added that the occupation has also enabled and entrenched Israel's system of apartheid imposed on Palestinians. 'Over the years, Israel's military occupation has evolved into a perpetual occupation in flagrant violation of international law. 'The current conflict raging in the occupied Gaza Strip, where the ICJ has ruled there is a real and imminent risk of genocide, has brought into sharp focus the catastrophic consequences of allowing Israel's international crimes in the occupied Palestinian territories to continue with impunity for so long. The world must recognize that ending Israel's illegal occupation is a prerequisite to stopping the recurrent human rights violations in Israel and in the occupied Palestinian territories. Source: Palestine news and Information Agency – WAFA