In an oral argument before the International Court of Justice (ICJ) on Monday, the Egyptian delegation submitted a request for the Court to issue an advisory opinion stating that Israel’s prolonged occupation of the Palestinian territories is a continued violation of international law.
It added that Israel’s obligations as an occupying power must continue throughout Palestinian territory until the end of its occupation.
The ICJ in The Hague, Netherlands, began public hearings on Monday for an advisory opinion regarding Israel’s obligations towards the United Nations and its agencies and bodies in the occupied Palestinian territories.
Egypt was represented before the Court by the Assistant Minister of Foreign Affairs for International Legal Affairs and Treaties, Hatem Abdel-Qader, and the Legal Advisor at the Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yasmine Moussa.
Egypt’s demands
The Egyptian delegation emphasized that Israel’s gross violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law in the occupied Palestinian territories constitute part of widespread, systematic, and comprehensive measures aimed at imposing a fait accompli and achieving the de facto annexation of Palestinian territory.
Egypt also requested that the court recognize Israel’s obligations, as an occupying power, to provide reparations for the harm it has caused.
This obligation must be met by lifting the blockade on Gaza immediately and unconditionally, ensuring widespread and safe access for essential supplies to civilians in Gaza Strip through all crossings leading to the Strip, without impediments or restrictions, immediately implementing Security Council Resolution 2735, and agreeing on an urgent relief plan for Palestinian civilians.
Israel’s violations
The Egyptian delegation pointed out that since October 2023, Israel has been using starvation and a complete blockade of Gaza as a weapon directed against civilians in the strip.
“Israel has persisted in its use of this weapon by deliberately and arbitrarily closing all crossings into Gaza, preventing the entry of food, potable water, fuel, medical supplies, and other basic needs,” they added.
The Egyptian delegation emphasized that Israel has indeed violated its obligations under international law, both through its systematic policy of targeting civilians and representatives of relief organizations, its persistent imposition of legal and administrative obstacles that impede and restrict the delivery of humanitarian aid, and its direct attacks on humanitarian infrastructure.
This included the bombing of the Rafah border crossing, aimed at disrupting its operations and seizing control of the Palestinian side of the crossing, followed by Israel’s subsequent military assault on the city of Rafah, which had been a refuge for over a million Palestinians.
