ICJ hears Israel has turned Gaza into 'pile of rubble'
A senior Saudi official on Tuesday told the UN's top court that Israel had turned Gaza into a 'pile of rubble' as hearings on Israel's legal obligations to enable aid into the occupied territories entered its second day.
Mohammed Saud Al Nasser, director general of the Legal Department at the Saudi Ministry of Foreign Affairs, highlighted the importance of the court's advisory opinion in this matter in obligating Israel in allowing aid into the territory.
'It's worth noting that Israel controls all international aid flows, which are vital to the 2.3 million Palestinians in the Gaza Strip, who are suffering from an unprecedented humanitarian crisis,' Mr Al Nasser said.
Israel continues to ignore calls to allow aid into Gaza and has attacked sites and warehouses belonging to the Un agency for Palestinian refugees, and looting their contents, Mr Al Nasser added. The UN has refuted Israeli claims regarding its politicisation and allegations it is infiltrated by Hamas.
Mr Al Nasser's statement came as the International Court of Justice opened a week of hearings on Monday on Israel's humanitarian obligations toward the Palestinians, more than 50 days after it imposed a comprehensive blockade on aid entering the war-torn Gaza Strip. Its military offensive has killed 52,365 people in Gaza since the start of the 18-month war.
Dozens of countries and organisations are scheduled to address the 15-judge panel in a marathon set of hearings. Palestinian official Ammar Hijazi on Monday accused Israel of using starvation as a weapon of war.
Speaking in Jerusalem, Israeli Foreign Affairs Minister Gideon Saar dismissed the hearings, saying they were part of a 'systematic persecution and delegitimisation' of his country. Israel denies deliberately attacking civilians and aid staff and is not participating in the hearings, but its ally, the US, will take part on Wednesday.
The UN in December asked the ICJ to rule 'with the utmost urgency' on the case, but it will probably take several months to reach its opinion.
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